Exodus 15:23

Posted on March 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 15:23 Et venerunt in Mara, nec poterant bibere aquas de Mara, eo quod essent amaræ: unde et congruum loco nomen imposuit, vocans illum Mara, id est, amaritudinem.

And they came to Mara, and they were not able to drink the waters of Mara, because they were bitter; and therefore he gave the place an appropriate name, calling it Mara, that is, bitterness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 venerunt they came 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 in into PREP+ACC
4 Mara Marah NOUN.ACC.SG.F (INDECL)
5 nec nor CONJ
6 poterant were able 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND
7 bibere to drink INF.PRES.ACT
8 aquas waters NOUN.ACC.PL.F
9 de from PREP+ABL
10 Mara Marah NOUN.ABL.SG.F (INDECL)
11 eo for this PRON.ABL.SG.N
12 quod because CONJ
13 essent they were 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.ACT
14 amaræ bitter ADJ.NOM.PL.F
15 unde whence / and therefore ADV
16 et and CONJ
17 congruum fitting / appropriate ADJ.ACC.SG.N
18 loco to the place NOUN.DAT.SG.M
19 nomen name NOUN.ACC.SG.N
20 imposuit he placed / assigned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 vocans calling PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
22 illum that PRON.ACC.SG.M
23 Mara Marah NOUN.ACC.SG.F (INDECL)
24 id that PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
25 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
26 amaritudinem bitterness NOUN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Clause 1: Et venerunt in Mara — perfect verb + prepositional phrase of motion.
Clause 2: nec poterant bibere aquas de Mara — negated imperfect verb + complementary infinitive + DO.
Causal clause: eo quod essent amaræ — ablative of cause + conjunction + subjunctive verb.
Clause 3: unde et congruum loco nomen imposuit — inferential unde + indirect object + DO + perfect verb.
Participle phrase: vocans illum Mara — circumstantial participle expressing manner.
Gloss explanation: id est amaritudinem — formula of interpretation.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple narrative link.
  2. venerunt — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they came”; Notes: perfect expresses completed arrival.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: spatial movement marker.
  4. Mara — Lemma: Mara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: object of in; Translation: “Marah”; Notes: Hebrew origin.
  5. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: negative connector; Translation: “nor”; Notes: coordinates negated actions.
  6. poterant — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they were able”; Notes: describes ongoing inability.
  7. bibere — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: completes poterant.
  8. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “waters”; Notes: refers to supply at Marah.
  9. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: indicates source.
  10. Mara — Lemma: Mara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: object of de; Translation: “Marah”; Notes: identical form.
  11. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: “for this”; Notes: introduces reason clause.
  12. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: common biblical Latin usage.
  13. essent — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive third plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “they were”; Notes: subjunctive in causal quod-clause.
  14. amaræ — Lemma: amarus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “bitter”; Notes: describes waters.
  15. unde — Lemma: unde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential; Translation: “and therefore”; Notes: expresses conclusion.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: connective.
  17. congruum — Lemma: congruus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies nomen; Translation: “fitting”; Notes: describes appropriateness of name.
  18. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the place”; Notes: recipient of name.
  19. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: item assigned.
  20. imposuit — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he placed / assigned”; Notes: action of naming.
  21. vocans — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “calling”; Notes: simultaneous action.
  22. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of vocans; Translation: “that”; Notes: refers to the place.
  23. Mara — Lemma: Mara; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: predicate name; Translation: “Marah”; Notes: name meaning bitterness.
  24. id — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of est; Translation: “that”; Notes: introduces explanation.
  25. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: explanatory clause.
  26. amaritudinem — Lemma: amaritudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate of explanation; Translation: “bitterness”; Notes: gloss of Mara.

 

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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