Exodus 9:16

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 9:16 Idcirco autem posui te, ut ostendam in te fortitudinem meam, et narretur nomen meum in omni terra.

But for this reason I have raised you up, so that I may show My strength in you, and so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Idcirco for this reason ADV
2 autem however / but CONJ
3 posui I have placed / raised 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 te you ACC.SG
5 ut so that CONJ
6 ostendam I may show 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 te you ABL.SG
9 fortitudinem strength ACC.SG.F
10 meam my ACC.SG.F (ADJ)
11 et and CONJ
12 narretur may be proclaimed 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
13 nomen name NOM.SG.N
14 meum my NOM.SG.N (ADJ)
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 omni all ABL.SG.F
17 terra earth ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Causal–Purpose Structure:

Idcirco autem posui te — “But for this reason I have raised you up”
• posui te — perfect indicative; the LORD’s deliberate appointment of Pharaoh
• Idcirco — points to divine purpose
• autem — contrasting connective

Purpose Clause 1:
ut ostendam in te fortitudinem meam — “so that I may show my strength in you”
• ostendam — subjunctive of purpose
• in te — Pharaoh is the arena of demonstration
• fortitudinem meam — direct object (divine power)

Purpose Clause 2 (passive):
et narretur nomen meum — “and so that my name may be proclaimed”
• narretur — passive subjunctive (“may be told / proclaimed”)
• nomen meum — subject of passive verb

Locative Phrase:
in omni terra — “in all the earth”
• universal scope of proclamation

Morphology

  1. Idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: causal adverb; Function: introduces divine rationale; Translation: “for this reason”; Notes: Points back to the purpose behind Pharaoh’s elevation.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: postpositive; Function: adds nuance/contrast; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Common narrative connector.
  3. posui — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I have placed / raised”; Notes: Indicates deliberate divine installation.
  4. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of posui; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addressed to Pharaoh.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: purpose marker; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Standard final clause marker.
  6. ostendam — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may show”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses divine intent.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates locus of demonstration.
  8. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “you”; Notes: Pharaoh embodies the demonstration of divine power.
  9. fortitudinem — Lemma: fortitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of ostendam; Translation: “strength”; Notes: Refers to divine might.
  10. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies fortitudinem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes divine authorship.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links two purpose clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds second divine intention.
  12. narretur — Lemma: narro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may be proclaimed”; Notes: Passive emphasizes dissemination by others.
  13. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of narretur; Translation: “name”; Notes: Represents divine identity and reputation.
  14. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies nomen; Translation: “my”; Notes: Divine name to be proclaimed.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Sphere of proclamation.
  16. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “all”; Notes: Totality of region.
  17. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Universal scope.

 

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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