Exodus 7:1

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:1 Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen: Ecce constitui te Deum Pharaonis: et Aaron frater tuus erit propheta tuus.

And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, I have appointed you as God to Pharao, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M (NAME)
5 Ecce behold INTERJ
6 constitui I have appointed 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 te you ACC.SG.PRON
8 Deum God ACC.SG.M
9 Pharaonis of Pharaoh GEN.SG.M (NAME)
10 et and CONJ
11 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M (NAME)
12 frater brother NOM.SG.M
13 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS
14 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 propheta prophet NOM.SG.M
16 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS

Syntax

Introductory clause:
Dixitque Dominus ad Moysen —
Dixitque (verb with enclitic -que) + Dominus (subject) + ad Moysen (recipient of speech).

Main declaration:
Ecce constituí te Deum Pharaonis —
Ecce introduces emphasis,
constitui (main verb),
te (object),
Deum Pharaonis (predicate accusative + genitive of relation), meaning “as God to Pharaoh.”

Aaron frater tuus erit propheta tuus —
Aaron frater tuus (subject phrase),
erit (future verb),
propheta tuus (predicate nominative).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + -que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces divine speech; Translation: and said; Notes: enclitic -que joins this clause to the previous narrative flow.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: YHWH.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks recipient; Translation: to; Notes: standard with verbs of saying.
  4. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: Moses; Notes: recipient of divine address.
  5. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: draws attention; Translation: behold; Notes: introduces solemn pronouncement.
  6. constitui — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I have appointed; Notes: expresses divine action performed.
  7. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: you; Notes: Moses as recipient of divine commissioning.
  8. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: God; Notes: indicates representational role, not ontology.
  9. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: of Pharaoh; Notes: Moses stands as God’s representative to Pharaoh.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: joins second appointment clause.
  11. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Moses’ brother and spokesman.
  12. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Aaron; Translation: brother; Notes: clarifies relationship.
  13. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: your; Notes: agrees in gender, number, case.
  14. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be; Notes: marks future role.
  15. propheta — Lemma: propheta; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: prophet; Notes: Aaron is Moses’ spokesperson.
  16. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies propheta; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes Moses–Aaron relationship.

 

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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