Exodus 8:6

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:6 Et extendit Aaron manum super aquas Ægypti, et ascenderunt ranæ, operueruntque Terram Ægypti.

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up, and they covered the Land of Egypt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 extendit stretched out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M
4 manum hand ACC.SG.F
5 super over PREP+ACC
6 aquas waters ACC.PL.F
7 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F
8 et and CONJ
9 ascenderunt came up 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 ranæ frogs NOM.PL.F
11 operueruntque and covered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
12 Terram land ACC.SG.F
13 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause:
• Et extendit Aaron manum super aquas Ægypti — Subject: Aaron; Verb: extendit; Object: manum; Direction: super aquas Ægypti.

Second clause:
• et ascenderunt ranæ — Subject: ranæ; Verb: ascenderunt.

Third clause:
• operueruntque Terram Ægypti — Subject: (frogs implied); Verb: operueruntque; Object: Terram Ægypti.

The three clauses progress sequentially: gesture → emergence → total inundation.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links actions; Translation: and; Notes: standard narrative connective.
  2. extendit — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: stretched out; Notes: perfect marks completed action initiating plague.
  3. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of extendit; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Hebrew name in Latin form.
  4. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: hand; Notes: feminine 4th-declension noun.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: over; Notes: expresses posture above surface.
  6. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: waters; Notes: includes rivers, streams, canals.
  7. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies aquas; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: specifies geographic domain.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces second clause; Translation: and; Notes: transitions to result of gesture.
  9. ascenderunt — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: came up; Notes: perfect marks sudden rising of frogs.
  10. ranæ — Lemma: rana; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of ascenderunt; Translation: frogs; Notes: agents emerging from Nile system.
  11. operueruntque — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: verb of third clause; Translation: and covered; Notes: enclitic links to previous clause.
  12. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: land; Notes: emphasizes extent of plague.
  13. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies Terram; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: marks whole national territory.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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