Exodus 8:2

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:2 sin autem nolueris dimittere, ecce ego percutiam omnes terminos tuos ranis.

but if you are not willing to let them go, behold, I will strike all your borders with frogs.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sin but if CONJ
2 autem however ADV/CONJ
3 nolueris you will not be willing 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
4 dimittere to let go PRES.ACT.INF
5 ecce behold INTERJ
6 ego I NOM.SG.1ST.PRON
7 percutiam I will strike 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 omnes all ACC.PL.M/F
9 terminos borders ACC.PL.M
10 tuos your ACC.PL.M.POSS
11 ranis with frogs ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Conditional protasis:
sin autem nolueris dimittere — “but if you are not willing to let (them) go.”
• sin introduces a conditional alternative
• nolueris (future perfect) expresses decisive future refusal
• dimittere is complementary infinitive completing nolueris

Main apodosis:
ecce ego percutiam omnes terminos tuos ranis — “behold, I will strike all your borders with frogs.”
• percutiam is the main verb
• ego is emphatic subject
• omnes terminos tuos is the direct object
• ranis is ablative of instrument (“with frogs”)

Morphology

  1. sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a conditional alternative; Translation: but if; Notes: used especially in warnings or legal/prophetic formulations.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds contrast or continuation; Translation: however; Notes: postpositive particle.
  3. nolueris — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the protasis; Translation: you will not be willing; Notes: future perfect in Latin often expresses decisive refusal in future conditions.
  4. dimittere — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with nolueris; Translation: to let go; Notes: continues the theme of releasing the people.
  5. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces dramatic divine action; Translation: behold; Notes: adds vivid immediacy.
  6. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: I; Notes: emphasizes divine agency.
  7. percutiam — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: I will strike; Notes: expresses certain future divine judgment.
  8. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: modifies terminos; Translation: all; Notes: intensifies totality of the plague’s reach.
  9. terminos — Lemma: terminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of percutiam; Translation: borders; Notes: refers to territory under Pharaoh’s authority.
  10. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies terminos; Translation: your; Notes: directly addressed to Pharaoh.
  11. ranis — Lemma: rana; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with frogs; Notes: expresses means by which divine judgment is executed.

 

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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