Exodus 7:17

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:17 Hæc igitur dicit Dominus: In hoc scies quod sim Dominus: ecce percutiam virga, quæ in manu mea est, aquam fluminis, et vertetur in sanguinem.

Thus says the LORD: “In this you shall know that I am the LORD; behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these things NOM.PL.N.DEM
2 igitur therefore ADV
3 dicit says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
5 In in PREP+ABL
6 hoc this ABL.SG.N.DEM
7 scies you shall know 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 quod that CONJ
9 sim I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
11 ecce behold PARTICLE
12 percutiam I will strike 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 virga with the rod ABL.SG.F
14 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL.PRON
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 manu hand ABL.SG.F
17 mea my ABL.SG.F.POSS
18 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
19 aquam the water ACC.SG.F
20 fluminis of the river GEN.SG.N
21 et and CONJ
22 vertetur it shall be turned 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
23 in into PREP+ACC
24 sanguinem blood ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Declarative formula:
Hæc igitur dicit Dominus — Prophetic introduction; Dominus is subject; dicit is main verb.

Result clause:
In hoc scies quod sim Dominus — Ablative of respect (in hoc) indicating the means by which Pharaoh will know.

Demonstrative interjection:
ecce introduces the sign that proves YHWH’s identity.

Action clause:
percutiam virga — First-person future indicating divine action.

Relative clause:
quæ in manu mea est modifies virga.

Object clause:
aquam fluminis — Direct object of percutiam.

Transformation result:
et vertetur in sanguinem — Future passive describing the miraculous effect.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: these things; Notes: introduces divine proclamation.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: logical connector; Translation: therefore; Notes: marks conclusion or emphasis.
  3. dicit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: says; Notes: present for vividness.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: YHWH reference.
  5. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: expresses respect/means; Translation: in; Notes: idiomatic with scire.
  6. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: this; Notes: refers to upcoming sign.
  7. scies — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: prediction; Translation: you shall know; Notes: future of certainty.
  8. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: that; Notes: common biblical usage.
  9. sim — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular present active subjunctive; Function: indirect statement; Translation: I am; Notes: subjunctive in content clauses.
  10. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: LORD; Notes: divine self-identification.
  11. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: calls attention; Translation: behold; Notes: typical introduction to miraculous action.
  12. percutiam — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of action; Translation: I will strike; Notes: expresses decisive divine intervention.
  13. virga — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with the rod; Notes: instrument of miracle.
  14. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: which; Notes: refers to virga.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: spatial usage.
  16. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: hand; Notes: denotes possession.
  17. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies manu; Translation: my; Notes: agrees in gender, number, case.
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links subject to prepositional phrase.
  19. aquam — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: the water; Notes: refers to Nile water.
  20. fluminis — Lemma: flumen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of the river; Notes: identifies the Nile.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates actions.
  22. vertetur — Lemma: verto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: describes miraculous transformation; Translation: it shall be turned; Notes: divine passive.
  23. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with accusative; Function: indicates result; Translation: into; Notes: expresses transformation.
  24. sanguinem — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: blood; Notes: identifies the miraculous change.

 

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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