Exodus 8:23

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:23 Ponamque divisionem inter populum meum, et populum tuum: cras erit signum istud.

And I will set a division between my people and your people; tomorrow this sign shall be.”’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ponamque and I will place 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + -que
2 divisionem a division ACC.SG.F
3 inter between PREP+ACC
4 populum people ACC.SG.M
5 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS
6 et and CONJ
7 populum people ACC.SG.M
8 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS
9 cras tomorrow ADV
10 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 signum sign NOM.SG.N
12 istud this NOM.SG.N.DEM

Syntax

Main clause 1:
• Ponamque divisionem — “And I will set a division”
• Verb: Ponamque (future, 1st sg.)
• Direct object: divisionem
• Prepositional phrase: inter populum meum et populum tuum

Main clause 2:
• cras erit signum istud — “tomorrow this sign shall be”
• Temporal adverb: cras
• Verb: erit
• Subject: signum istud

Morphology

  1. Ponamque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st sg. + enclitic -que; Function: main verb asserting divine action; Translation: “and I will place”; Notes: -que links this divine act to the preceding declaration.
  2. divisionem — Lemma: divisio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Ponamque; Translation: “division, distinction”; Notes: expresses separation between Israel and Egypt as part of the plague signs.
  3. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the range of separation; Translation: “between”; Notes: marks bilateral boundary.
  4. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: first object of the preposition inter; Translation: “people”; Notes: refers to Israel.
  5. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: “my”; Notes: covenantal marker emphasizing divine ownership.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins the two accusative objects governed by inter; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordination.
  7. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second object of inter; Translation: “people”; Notes: refers to Egypt.
  8. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies populum; Translation: “your”; Notes: highlighting Pharaoh’s jurisdiction.
  9. cras — Lemma: cras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “tomorrow”; Notes: signals immediacy of the sign.
  10. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 3rd sg.; Function: finite verb of the clause; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: expresses certainty.
  11. signum — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of erit; Translation: “sign”; Notes: refers to the plague-distinguishing demonstration of divine power.
  12. istud — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective/pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies signum; Translation: “this”; Notes: adds immediacy and emphasis: this very sign.

 

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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