Exodus 8:7

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:7 Fecerunt autem et malefici per incantationes suas similiter, eduxeruntque ranas super Terram Ægypti.

But the magicians also did likewise by their enchantments, and they brought up frogs over the Land of Egypt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fecerunt did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / but ADV
3 et also CONJ
4 malefici magicians NOM.PL.M
5 per by PREP+ACC
6 incantationes enchantments ACC.PL.F
7 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
8 similiter likewise ADV
9 eduxeruntque and brought up 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
10 ranas frogs ACC.PL.F
11 super over PREP+ACC
12 Terram land ACC.SG.F
13 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause:
• Fecerunt autem et malefici — Subject: malefici; Verb: Fecerunt; adverbial nuance from autem and et shows contrast and addition.

Instrumental phrase:
• per incantationes suas — “by their enchantments,” accusative after per, indicating means.

Second coordinated clause:
• eduxeruntque ranas super Terram Ægypti — Subject: (malefici implied); Verb: eduxeruntque; Object: ranas; Destination: super Terram Ægypti.

The syntax presents a contrastive parallel: the magicians attempt to imitate the divine plague.

Morphology

  1. Fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: did; Notes: introduces the magicians’ imitation.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/postpositive; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds mild contrast; Translation: however / but; Notes: classical postpositive particle.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis “also”; Translation: also; Notes: here conveys inclusion.
  4. malefici — Lemma: maleficus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: magicians; Notes: refers to Egyptian sorcerers.
  5. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces means; Translation: by; Notes: expresses instrumentality.
  6. incantationes — Lemma: incantatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: enchantments; Notes: magical arts.
  7. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies incantationes; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive to subject.
  8. similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies Fecerunt; Translation: likewise; Notes: denotes imitation.
  9. eduxeruntque — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: second action of magicians; Translation: and they brought up; Notes: enclitic links to prior clause.
  10. ranas — Lemma: rana; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: frogs; Notes: same agents as divine plague.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses distribution; Translation: over; Notes: indicates spatial extension.
  12. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: land; Notes: direct locus of plague.
  13. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies Terram; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: geographical specification.

 

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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