Exodus 7:18

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:18 Pisces quoque, qui sunt in fluvio, morientur, et computrescent aquæ, et affligentur Ægyptii bibentes aquam fluminis.

The fish also that are in the river shall die, and the waters shall rot, and the Egyptians shall be afflicted, drinking the water of the river.”’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Pisces fish NOM.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL.PRON
4 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 fluvio the river ABL.SG.M
7 morientur will die 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND
8 et and CONJ
9 computrescent will rot 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
10 aquæ waters NOM.PL.F
11 et and CONJ
12 affligentur shall be afflicted 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND
13 Ægyptii the Egyptians NOM.PL.M
14 bibentes drinking PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.PL.M
15 aquam water ACC.SG.F
16 fluminis of the river GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main subject:
Pisces quoque — “The fish also” (nominative plural).

Relative clause:
qui sunt in fluvio — modifies pisces; qui = subject; sunt = verb.

First prediction:
morientur — future deponent, “will die.”

Second prediction:
computrescent aquæ — “the waters will rot”; aquæ = subject.

Third prediction:
affligentur Ægyptii — passive future: “the Egyptians will be afflicted.”

Participial modifier:
bibentes aquam fluminis — explains the cause of affliction.

Morphology

  1. Pisces — Lemma: piscis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: fish; Notes: denotes river life affected by plague.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: also; Notes: reinforces inclusion.
  3. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: who; Notes: refers to pisces.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: are; Notes: simple copula.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: location; Translation: in; Notes: standard spatial marker.
  6. fluvio — Lemma: fluvius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: river; Notes: refers to the Nile.
  7. morientur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: third person plural future indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will die; Notes: deponent with active sense.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  9. computrescent — Lemma: computresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will rot; Notes: indicates putrefaction of waters.
  10. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of computrescent; Translation: waters; Notes: refers to Nile waters turned to blood.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects final prediction; Translation: and; Notes: sequential marker.
  12. affligentur — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: shall be afflicted; Notes: passive emphasizes suffering inflicted upon Egyptians.
  13. Ægyptii — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of affligentur; Translation: Egyptians; Notes: inhabitants of Egypt.
  14. bibentes — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: descriptive participle; Translation: drinking; Notes: explains cause of affliction.
  15. aquam — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of bibentes; Translation: water; Notes: polluted Nile water.
  16. fluminis — Lemma: flumen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of the river; Notes: specifies which water.

 

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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