Exodus 18:4

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:4 Alter vero Eliezer: Deus enim, ait, patris mei adiutor meus, et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis.

The other was Eliezer, for “God,” he said, “of my father is my helper, and He delivered me from the sword of Pharao.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Alter the other PRON.INDEF.NOM.SG.M
2 vero indeed ADV
3 Eliezer Eliezer NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 enim for CONJ
6 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 patris of (my) father NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 mei my PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
9 adiutor helper NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 meus my PRON.POSS.NOM.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 eruit delivered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 me me PRON.PERS.ACC.SG
14 de from PREP+ABL
15 gladio sword NOUN.ABL.SG.M
16 Pharaonis of Pharaoh NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Alter vero Eliezer — nominative subject (“the other was Eliezer”).
Quotation Clause: Deus enim, ait — explanatory quotation frame.
Genitive Phrase: patris mei — possessive genitive modifying Deus.
Predicate Nominative: adiutor meus — identifies divine help.
Coordinated Verb Phrase: et eruit me de gladio Pharaonis — perfect action expressing deliverance.

Morphology

  1. Alter — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the other; Notes: contrasts with first son.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: indeed; Notes: common connective adverb.
  3. Eliezer — Lemma: Eliezer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: Eliezer; Notes: second son’s name.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait within quotation; Translation: God; Notes: named as source of help.
  5. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: for; Notes: postpositive.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of saying; Translation: said; Notes: irregular verb of speech.
  7. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Deus; Translation: of (my) father; Notes: possessive genitive.
  8. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: my; Notes: expresses personal relation.
  9. adiutor — Lemma: adiutor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: helper; Notes: describes divine aid.
  10. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies adiutor; Translation: my; Notes: emphatic possession.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links predicate actions; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordinator.
  12. eruit — Lemma: eruo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of deliverance; Translation: delivered; Notes: emphasizes completed rescue.
  13. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of eruit; Translation: me; Notes: object of divine deliverance.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: from; Notes: source of danger.
  15. gladio — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: sword; Notes: metaphorical or literal threat.
  16. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies gladio; Translation: of Pharaoh; Notes: identifies agent of danger.

 

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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