Ex 18:2 tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi quam remiserat:
he took Sephora, the wife of Moyses, whom he had sent back;
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
tulit |
took |
3SG.PERF.ACT.IND |
| 2 |
Sephoram |
Zipporah |
NOUN.ACC.SG.F |
| 3 |
uxorem |
wife |
NOUN.ACC.SG.F |
| 4 |
Moysi |
of Moses |
NOUN.GEN.SG.M |
| 5 |
quam |
whom |
PRON.REL.ACC.SG.F |
| 6 |
remiserat |
had sent back |
3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND |
Syntax
Main Clause: tulit Sephoram uxorem Moysi — perfect verb with double object in apposition (“Sephora, the wife of Moses”).
Relative Clause: quam remiserat — describes Sephora; pluperfect indicates prior action (“had sent back”).
Morphology
- tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: took; Notes: irregular perfect of fero.
- Sephoram — Lemma: Sephora; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: Sephora; Notes: proper name of Moses’ wife.
- uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to Sephoram; Translation: wife; Notes: clarifies relationship.
- Moysi — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: of Moses; Notes: identifies whose wife.
- quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: whom; Notes: refers to Sephora.
- remiserat — Lemma: remitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: had sent back; Notes: indicates earlier separation.
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.