Exodus 14:29

Posted on March 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 14:29 Filii autem Israel perrexerunt per medium sicci maris, et aquæ eis erant quasi pro muro a dextris et a sinistris:

But the sons of Israel went through the middle of the dry sea, and the waters were for them like a wall on the right and on the left;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
2 autem however ADV
3 Israel Israel NOUN.GEN.SG.M (INVAR.)
4 perrexerunt went through 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 per through PREP+ACC
6 medium middle ADJ.ACC.SG.N
7 sicci dry ADJ.GEN.SG.N
8 maris of the sea NOUN.GEN.SG.N
9 et and CONJ
10 aquæ waters NOUN.NOM.PL.F
11 eis to them PRON.DAT.PL
12 erant were 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
13 quasi as if ADV
14 pro for PREP+ABL
15 muro a wall NOUN.ABL.SG.M
16 a from PREP+ABL
17 dextris the right side NOUN.ABL.PL.F
18 et and CONJ
19 a from PREP+ABL
20 sinistris the left side NOUN.ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Main clause: Filii autem Israel perrexerunt — nominative subject + perfect verb.
Prepositional phrase: per medium sicci maris — expresses path through the dry sea.
Second clause: et aquæ eis erant quasi pro muro — waters as subject; dative of advantage; quasi + pro muro indicates simile.
Locative specification: a dextris et a sinistris — ablatives of position.

Morphology

  1. Filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “sons”; Notes: collective identity of Israel.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: mild contrast; Translation: “however”; Notes: postpositive.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent on filii; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: invariant form.
  4. perrexerunt — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “went through”; Notes: motion verb.
  5. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses movement; Translation: “through”; Notes: common with motion verbs.
  6. medium — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: “middle”; Notes: neuter substantive.
  7. sicci — Lemma: siccus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: describes maris; Translation: “dry”; Notes: descriptive genitive.
  8. maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: complements sicci; Translation: “of the sea”; Notes: part of idiom.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordination.
  10. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of erant; Translation: “waters”; Notes: refers to parted sea.
  11. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to them”; Notes: dative of advantage.
  12. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: descriptive action.
  13. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces simile; Translation: “as if”; Notes: frequently with figurative terms.
  14. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses equivalence; Translation: “for”; Notes: indicates functional role.
  15. muro — Lemma: murus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “a wall”; Notes: metaphorical usage.
  16. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks position; Translation: “from”; Notes: spatial reference.
  17. dextris — Lemma: dextra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of a; Translation: “right side”; Notes: locative expression.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects ablatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: links two spatial terms.
  19. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks position; Translation: “from”; Notes: parallels earlier a.
  20. sinistris — Lemma: sinistra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of a; Translation: “left side”; Notes: counterpart to dextris.

 

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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