Exodus 15:9

Posted on March 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 15:9 Dixit inimicus: Persequar et comprehendam, dividam spolia, implebitur anima mea: evaginabo gladium meum, interficiet eos manus mea.

The enemy said: ‘I will pursue and overtake, I will divide the spoils, my soul shall be filled; I will draw my sword, my hand shall slay them.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 inimicus enemy NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 Persequar I will pursue 1SG.FUT.DEP.IND
4 et and CONJ
5 comprehendam I will overtake 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 dividam I will divide 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 spolia spoils NOUN.ACC.PL.N
8 implebitur will be filled 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
9 anima soul NOUN.NOM.SG.F
10 mea my ADJ.NOM.SG.F
11 evaginabo I will draw 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 gladium sword NOUN.ACC.SG.M
13 meum my ADJ.ACC.SG.M
14 interficiet will slay 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
16 manus hand NOUN.NOM.SG.F
17 mea my ADJ.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause: Dixit inimicus — perfect verb + nominative subject.
Quoted volitive chain: Persequar et comprehendam — two first-person future verbs in sequence.
Further intentions: dividam spolia, implebitur anima mea, evaginabo gladium meum, interficiet eos manus mea — coordinated future clauses expressing the enemy’s planned actions.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: introduces speech.
  2. inimicus — Lemma: inimicus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “enemy”; Notes: refers to Pharaoh or Egyptians collectively.
  3. Persequar — Lemma: persequor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: future indicative first singular; Function: verb of intention; Translation: “I will pursue”; Notes: deponent future.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: links verbs.
  5. comprehendam — Lemma: comprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first singular; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: “I will overtake”; Notes: plan of pursuit.
  6. dividam — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first singular; Function: verb of plunder; Translation: “I will divide”; Notes: refers to spoils of war.
  7. spolia — Lemma: spolium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “spoils”; Notes: war plunder.
  8. implebitur — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative third singular; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: “will be filled”; Notes: passive sense of satisfaction.
  9. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “soul”; Notes: inner desire.
  10. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies anima; Translation: “my”; Notes: speaker’s possession.
  11. evaginabo — Lemma: evagino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will draw”; Notes: imagery of battle readiness.
  12. gladium — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “sword”; Notes: weapon of attack.
  13. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies gladium; Translation: “my”; Notes: possessive emphasis.
  14. interficiet — Lemma: interficio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “will slay”; Notes: violent intent.
  15. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to Israel.
  16. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of interficiet; Translation: “hand”; Notes: idiomatic for power.
  17. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies manus; Translation: “my”; Notes: emphasizes agency.

 

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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