Exodus 7:9

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 7:9 Cum dixerit vobis Pharao, Ostendite signa: dices ad Aaron: Tolle virgam tuam, et proiice eam coram Pharaone, ac vertetur in colubrum.

“When Pharao shall say to you, ‘Show signs,’ you shall say to Aaron: ‘Take your rod, and throw it before Pharao, and it shall be turned into a snake.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum when CONJ.TEMPORAL
2 dixerit he shall say 3SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 vobis to you DAT.PL.PRON
4 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M (NAME)
5 Ostendite show 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
6 signa signs ACC.PL.N
7 dices you shall say 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 Aaron Aaron ACC.SG.M (NAME)
10 Tolle take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
11 virgam rod ACC.SG.F
12 tuam your ACC.SG.F.POSS
13 et and CONJ
14 proiice throw 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
15 eam it ACC.SG.F.PRON
16 coram before PREP+ABL
17 Pharaone Pharaoh ABL.SG.M (NAME)
18 ac and CONJ
19 vertetur it shall be turned 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
20 in into PREP+ACC
21 colubrum snake / serpent ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Temporal clause:
Cum dixerit vobis Pharao —
Cum (temporal conjunction) + dixerit (future perfect subjunctive) + vobis (indirect object) + Pharao (subject).

Ostendite signa — Imperative statement demanding a proof of power.

dices ad Aaron — Future indicative indicating what Moses must say.

 

1. Tolle virgam tuam — Command to take his rod.
2. et proiice eam coram Pharaone — Command to throw it before Pharaoh.
3. ac vertetur in colubrum — Passive future indicating miraculous transformation.

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: when; Notes: classical “cum + subjunctive” temporal.
  2. dixerit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: shall say; Notes: future protasis anticipating Pharaoh’s challenge.
  3. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to you; Notes: refers to Moses and Aaron.
  4. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: Egyptian ruler.
  5. Ostendite — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: show; Notes: Pharaoh’s demand for authentication.
  6. signa — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: signs; Notes: miraculous proofs.
  7. dices — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you shall say; Notes: divine instruction for Moses.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks recipient; Translation: to; Notes: introduces indirect discourse.
  9. Aaron — Lemma: Aaron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: Aaron; Notes: Moses’ spokesman.
  10. Tolle — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: take; Notes: initiates miraculous sign procedure.
  11. virgam — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: rod; Notes: Aaron’s staff, instrument of signs.
  12. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies virgam; Translation: your; Notes: agrees with virgam.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links commands; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  14. proiice — Lemma: proicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: throw; Notes: action that initiates miracle.
  15. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the rod.
  16. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses presence; Translation: before; Notes: locative nuance.
  17. Pharaone — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: face-to-face display of miracle.
  18. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces result; Translation: and; Notes: slightly stronger than “et.”
  19. vertetur — Lemma: verto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future passive indicative; Function: verb indicating transformation; Translation: it shall be turned; Notes: passive of divine miracle.
  20. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: shows change of state; Translation: into; Notes: standard construction for transformation.
  21. colubrum — Lemma: colubrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: snake / serpent; Notes: indicates supernatural metamorphosis.

 

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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