Exodus 9:32

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 9:32 triticum autem, et far non sunt læsa, quia serotina erant.

the wheat, however, and the spelt were not damaged, because they were late.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 triticum wheat NOM.SG.N
2 autem however ADV.CONJ
3 et and CONJ
4 far spelt NOM.SG.N
5 non not ADV
6 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 læsa damaged NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
8 quia because CONJ
9 serotina late NOM.PL.N.ADJ
10 erant were 3PL.IMPFT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause:
triticum and far — compound neuter subjects.
non sunt læsa — passive verbal idea “were not damaged,” with læsa functioning as predicate participle agreeing with neuter plural sense.

Causal Clause (introduced by quia):
serotina erant — “because they were late.”
serotina serves as the predicate adjective; erant is the copula.

Morphology

  1. triticum — Lemma: triticum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of sunt læsa; Translation: “wheat”; Notes: grammatically singular but understood with far as compound subject.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: postpositive adversative; Function: marks contrast; Translation: “however”; Notes: always placed after first word in clause.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links triticum with far; Translation: “and”; Notes: standard coordination.
  4. far — Lemma: far; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: co-subject with triticum; Translation: “spelt”; Notes: cereal grain distinct from wheat.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb of negation; Function: negates verb phrase; Translation: “not”; Notes: placed directly before finite verb.
  6. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary/copula for participial predicate; Translation: “are/were”; Notes: plural reflects compound subject.
  7. læsa — Lemma: lædo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate participle modifying compound subject; Translation: “damaged”; Notes: plural neuter agrees with sense of multiple crops.
  8. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: causal; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: straightforward causal marker.
  9. serotina — Lemma: serotinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate adjective of erant; Translation: “late”; Notes: refers to late-season crops not yet mature.
  10. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect active indicative; Function: linking verb in causal clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: imperfect expresses ongoing state.

 

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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