Exodus 7:7

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:7 Erat autem Moyses octoginta annorum, et Aaron octoginta trium, quando locuti sunt ad Pharaonem.

Now Moyses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharao.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erat was 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
2 autem however / now ADV
3 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M (NAME)
4 octoginta eighty NUM.INVAR
5 annorum of years GEN.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 Aaron Aaron NOM.SG.M (NAME)
8 octoginta eighty NUM.INVAR
9 trium three GEN.PL.NUM
10 quando when CONJ
11 locuti having spoken NOM.PL.M.PERF.PART.DEP
12 sunt they have 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 Pharaonem Pharaoh ACC.SG.M (NAME)

Syntax

Main clause:
Erat autem Moyses octoginta annorum —
Erat (verb) + Moyses (subject) + octoginta annorum (genitive of age).

et Aaron octoginta trium —
Aaron (subject) + octoginta trium (compound numeral phrase, genitive of age).

quando locuti sunt ad Pharaonem —
locuti sunt (perfect deponent verb) + ad Pharaonem (recipient);
quando introduces the time when both men spoke.

Morphology

  1. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: was; Notes: sets narrative background.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional marker; Translation: now / however; Notes: common narrative connective.
  3. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Moses; Notes: principal narrative figure.
  4. octoginta — Lemma: octoginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annorum; Translation: eighty; Notes: cardinal numeral used with genitive of measure.
  5. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of age; Translation: of years; Notes: standard construction for age.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links subjects; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates Moses and Aaron.
  7. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of parallel clause; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Moses’ brother and co-leader.
  8. octoginta — Lemma: octoginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: part of composite number; Translation: eighty; Notes: used with trium to express 83.
  9. trium — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: genitive plural; Function: complements octoginta for age; Translation: three; Notes: genitive of measure.
  10. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: marks time of action.
  11. locuti — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle; Function: part of perfect periphrasis; Translation: having spoken; Notes: deponent participle with active meaning.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: auxiliary for perfect; Translation: they have; Notes: completes perfect deponent construction.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks recipient; Translation: to; Notes: standard with verb of speaking.
  14. Pharaonem — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of speech; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: recipient of Moses’ and Aaron’s words.

 

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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