Exodus 15:12

Posted on March 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 15:12 Extendisti manum tuam, et devoravit eos terra.

You extended Your hand, and the earth swallowed them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Extendisti you extended 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 manum hand NOUN.ACC.SG.F
3 tuam your ADJ.ACC.SG.F
4 et and CONJ
5 devoravit swallowed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
7 terra earth NOUN.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause 1: Extendisti manum tuam — verb + direct object + possessive adjective.
Main clause 2: et devoravit eos terra — perfect verb + direct object + nominative subject.
Overall structure: Two coordinated perfective actions showing divine intervention.

Morphology

  1. Extendisti — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second singular; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: “you extended”; Notes: addressed to the LORD.
  2. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “hand”; Notes: symbol of divine power.
  3. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies manum; Translation: “your”; Notes: agrees in gender, number, and case.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connective.
  5. devoravit — Lemma: devoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: verb of second clause; Translation: “swallowed”; Notes: describes catastrophic judgment.
  6. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of devoravit; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to the Egyptians.
  7. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “earth”; Notes: personified as agent of divine judgment.

 

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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