Exodus 8:19

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:19 Et dixerunt malefici ad Pharaonem: Digitus Dei est hic. induratumque est cor Pharaonis, et non audivit eos sicut præceperat Dominus.

And the magicians said to Pharao: “The finger of God is here.” And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not listen to them as the LORD had commanded.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 malefici magicians NOM.PL.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Pharaonem Pharaoh ACC.SG.M
6 Digitus finger NOM.SG.M
7 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 hic here ADV
10 induratumque and hardened NOM.SG.N.PERF.PTCP + -QUE
11 est was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 cor heart NOM.SG.N
13 Pharaonis of Pharaoh GEN.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 non not ADV
16 audivit he listened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 eos them ACC.PL.M
18 sicut as CONJ
19 præceperat had commanded 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
20 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1:
• Subject: malefici
• Verb: dixerunt
• Indirect object: ad Pharaonem
• Quoted statement: Digitus Dei est hic — nominal sentence, subject Digitus, genitive modifier Dei, verb est, adverb hic.

Clause 2:
• Subject: cor Pharaonis
• Periphrastic verb: induratumque est
— perfect passive participle + est = “was hardened”

Clause 3:
• Verb: non audivit
• Object: eos
• Comparative clause: sicut præceperat Dominus

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: narrative connector.
  2. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: they said; Notes: typical reporting verb.
  3. malefici — Lemma: maleficus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: magicians; Notes: Egyptian court magicians.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + accusative; Function: marks recipient of speech; Translation: to; Notes: standard in indirect address.
  5. Pharaonem — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: direct addressee.
  6. Digitus — Lemma: digitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: finger; Notes: idiom for divine action.
  7. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of God; Notes: divine attribution.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: existential verb; Translation: is; Notes: simple copula.
  9. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative adverb; Translation: here; Notes: emphatic.
  10. induratumque — Lemma: induro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle + enclitic -que; Function: forms passive periphrasis; Translation: and hardened; Notes: predicate adjective.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd singular; Function: completes periphrastic passive; Translation: was; Notes: state of hardness.
  12. cor — Lemma: cor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: heart; Notes: metaphorical hardness.
  13. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of Pharaoh; Notes: identifies ruler.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: additive.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: expresses refusal.
  16. audivit — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: negative action; Translation: he listened; Notes: refusal to heed.
  17. eos — Lemma: is (pronoun); Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: them; Notes: refers to magicians.
  18. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: as; Notes: parallels instruction.
  19. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: expresses prior divine instruction.
  20. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.

 

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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