Exodus 17:8

Posted on March 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 17:8 Venit autem Amalec, et pugnabat contra Israel in Raphidim.

And Amalec came and was fighting against Israel in Raphidim.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Venit came 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but CONJ
3 Amalec Amalek NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 pugnabat was fighting 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
6 contra against PREP+ACC
7 Israel Israel NOUN.INDECL
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 Raphidim Rephidim NOUN.INDECL

Syntax

Main Clause: Venit autem Amalec — subject + perfect verb + adversative connector.
Coordinated Imperfect Clause: et pugnabat contra Israel — ongoing hostile action expressed by imperfect.
Locative Phrase: in Raphidim — indicates where the battle occurred.

Morphology

  1. Venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: came; Notes: marks sudden arrival.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: mild adversative; Translation: but; Notes: contrasts previous narrative.
  3. Amalec — Lemma: Amalec; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Amalek; Notes: ethnic/personal name from Hebrew tradition.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  5. pugnabat — Lemma: pugno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: describes continuous hostile action; Translation: was fighting; Notes: iterative/imperfective sense.
  6. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses opposition; Translation: against; Notes: typical in military context.
  7. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of contra; Translation: Israel; Notes: ethnic-national collective.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: in; Notes: stative locative.
  9. Raphidim — Lemma: Raphidim; Part of Speech: noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of in; Translation: Raphidim; Notes: place name.

 

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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