Exodus 10:20

Posted on March 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 10:20 Et induravit Dominus cor Pharaonis, nec dimisit filios Israel.

And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharao, and he did not let go the sons of Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 induravit hardened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 cor heart ACC.SG.N
5 Pharaonis of Pharaoh GEN.SG.M
6 nec and not CONJ.NEG
7 dimisit let go 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 filios sons ACC.PL.M
9 Israel of Israel GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Subject Dominus (the LORD) + Verb induravit (hardened) + Object cor (heart) + Genitive Pharaonis (of Pharaoh).

Main Clause 2: nec links and negates the second clause: Verb dimisit (did not let go) + Object filios Israel (the sons of Israel).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: links this sentence to the previous narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: very common narrative connector in Vulgate prose.
  2. induravit — Lemma: indūro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: “hardened”; Notes: perfect tense marks a completed divine action affecting Pharaoh’s inner disposition.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: grammatical subject of induravit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH and is rendered “LORD” according to your convention.
  4. cor — Lemma: cor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of induravit; Translation: “heart”; Notes: in biblical usage signifies the seat of will, intention, and resolve.
  5. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun (proper name); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying cor; Translation: “of Pharaoh”; Notes: specifies whose heart is hardened.
  6. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative conjunction; Function: links the second clause while denying its verb; Translation: “and not”; Notes: strengthens the sense that, despite the first action, the release still does not occur.
  7. dimisit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “let go” / “sent forth”; Notes: perfect tense narrates the continued refusal to release the people.
  8. filios — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of dimisit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: collective designation for the people as the sons.
  9. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun (proper name); Form: genitive singular masculine in this construction; Function: possessive genitive modifying filios; Translation: “of Israel”; Notes: ethnic–covenantal title, functioning here as a dependent genitive (“sons of Israel”).

 

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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