Exodus 8:9

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 8:9 Dixitque Moyses ad Pharaonem: Constitue mihi quando deprecer pro te, et pro servis tuis, et pro populo tuo, ut abigantur ranæ a te et a domo tua et a servis tuis et a populo tuo: et tantum in flumine remaneant.

And Moyses said to Pharao: “Appoint for me when I shall pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs may be driven away from you and from your house and from your servants and from your people, and that they may remain only in the river.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+QUE
2 Moyses Moses NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Pharaonem Pharaoh ACC.SG.M
5 Constitue appoint 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
6 mihi for me DAT.SG.PRON
7 quando when ADV/CONJ
8 deprecer I may pray 1SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
9 pro for PREP+ABL
10 te you ABL.SG.PRON
11 et and CONJ
12 pro for PREP+ABL
13 servis servants ABL.PL.M
14 tuis your ABL.PL.M.POSS
15 et and CONJ
16 pro for PREP+ABL
17 populo people ABL.SG.M
18 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS
19 ut that CONJ
20 abigantur may be driven away 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
21 ranæ frogs NOM.PL.F
22 a from PREP+ABL
23 te you ABL.SG.PRON
24 et and CONJ
25 a from PREP+ABL
26 domo house ABL.SG.F
27 tua your ABL.SG.F.POSS
28 et and CONJ
29 a from PREP+ABL
30 servis servants ABL.PL.M
31 tuis your ABL.PL.M.POSS
32 et and CONJ
33 a from PREP+ABL
34 populo people ABL.SG.M
35 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS
36 et and CONJ
37 tantum only ADV
38 in in PREP+ABL
39 flumine river ABL.SG.N
40 remaneant may remain 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Speech frame:
Dixitque Moyses ad Pharaonem — Subject: Moyses; verb: Dixitque; indirect object: ad Pharaonem.

Main request to Pharaoh:
Constitue mihi quando deprecer — Imperative Constitue governs a temporal clause with subjunctive deprecer, “Appoint for me when I shall pray”.

Beneficiaries of Moses’ intercession:
• pro te — on your behalf.
• pro servis tuis — on behalf of your servants.
• pro populo tuo — on behalf of your people.

Purpose clause 1:
ut abigantur ranæ — Subjunctive passive expresses desired result: “that the frogs may be driven away”.

Ablative separation series (from whom the frogs are driven):
• a te, a domo tua, a servis tuis, a populo tuo — four parallel ablatives of separation.

Purpose clause 2 (limit of the plague’s cessation):
et tantum in flumine remaneant — “and that they may remain only in the river”, with tantum restricting the location.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main narrative verb introducing direct speech; Translation: and said; Notes: -que links this statement to the preceding narrative clause.
  2. Moyses — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixitque; Translation: Moses; Notes: Latinized form of the Hebrew name Moshe.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the person addressed; Translation: to; Notes: standard preposition for direction or recipient.
  4. Pharaonem — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad, the addressee of Moses; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: Egyptian royal title used as a name.
  5. Constitue — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: direct command from Moses to Pharaoh; Translation: appoint; Notes: here means “set / fix” a time.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of Constitue, beneficiary of the setting; Translation: for me; Notes: dative of advantage.
  7. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: adverb / conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal clause depending on Constitue; Translation: when; Notes: here signals the time at which Moses will pray.
  8. deprecer — Lemma: deprecor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 1st person singular present subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal clause introduced by quando; Translation: I shall pray / I may entreat; Notes: deponent form with active meaning, subjunctive under a clause of indirect request.
  9. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces persons on whose behalf Moses will intercede; Translation: for; Notes: common with verbs of pleading or praying.
  10. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of pro, beneficiary of intercession; Translation: you; Notes: refers specifically to Pharaoh.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the next prepositional phrase with pro te; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive connector.
  12. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: introduces a second group helped by the prayer; Translation: for; Notes: repeats the intercessory preposition.
  13. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of pro; Translation: servants; Notes: refers to Pharaoh’s officials or court servants.
  14. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies servis; Translation: your; Notes: reflexive possessive relating the servants to Pharaoh.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the third parallel beneficiary phrase; Translation: and; Notes: keeps the triadic rhythm.
  16. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: governs populo tuo; Translation: for; Notes: same pattern as above.
  17. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of pro, indicating those on whose behalf Moses prays; Translation: people; Notes: collective term for the Egyptian populace.
  18. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies populo; Translation: your; Notes: marks Pharaoh’s responsibility for his people.
  19. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a purpose or result clause; Translation: that; Notes: governs the subjunctive abigantur.
  20. abigantur — Lemma: abigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present subjunctive passive; Function: verb of the purpose clause after ut; Translation: may be driven away; Notes: passive voice focuses on removal of the frogs rather than the remover.
  21. ranæ — Lemma: rana; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: grammatical subject of abigantur; Translation: frogs; Notes: refers to the specific plague already described.
  22. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces ablative of separation; Translation: from; Notes: used before consonants.
  23. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of a, indicating the person from whom the frogs are removed; Translation: you; Notes: again refers to Pharaoh personally.
  24. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the next separation phrase; Translation: and; Notes: continues the repetitive pattern.
  25. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: again introduces separation; Translation: from; Notes: parallels previous use.
  26. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative object of a, locus from which frogs are driven; Translation: house; Notes: refers to the royal residence.
  27. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies domo; Translation: your; Notes: binds the house to Pharaoh.
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces yet another parallel phrase; Translation: and; Notes: keeps piling up affected groups.
  29. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: separation preposition; Translation: from; Notes: unchanged in sense.
  30. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of separation with a; Translation: servants; Notes: refers again to Pharaoh’s servants.
  31. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies servis; Translation: your; Notes: stresses that even Pharaoh’s household staff is affected.
  32. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds the final group; Translation: and; Notes: rhythmic coordination.
  33. a — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: introduces last ablative of separation; Translation: from; Notes: same usage.
  34. populo — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of a, the broader population from which frogs are removed; Translation: people; Notes: final member of the separation list.
  35. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies populo; Translation: your; Notes: again highlights Pharaoh’s responsibility for his nation.
  36. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the second purpose clause; Translation: and; Notes: moves from removal to limitation.
  37. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: limits the scope of remaneant; Translation: only; Notes: restricts the frogs’ presence to one place.
  38. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative (locative sense); Function: introduces place where the frogs are to remain; Translation: in; Notes: static location rather than motion.
  39. flumine — Lemma: flumen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: river; Notes: contextually the Nile and its system.
  40. remaneant — Lemma: remaneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present active subjunctive; Function: verb of the second purpose clause, with understood subject “frogs”; Translation: may remain; Notes: subjunctive continues the volitional or desired outcome introduced by ut and implied by et.

 

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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