Exodus 15:3

Posted on March 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 15:3 Dominus quasi vir pugnator, omnipotens nomen eius.

The LORD is as a man of war; “Omnipotent” is His name.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dominus the LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
2 quasi as if / like ADV
3 vir a man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 pugnator warrior / fighter NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 omnipotens almighty ADJ.NOM.SG.M/F
6 nomen name NOUN.NOM.SG.N
7 eius his PRON.GEN.SG.M/N

Syntax

First clause: Dominus quasi vir pugnator — nominal clause, with Dominus as subject and vir pugnator as predicate expression modified by quasi.
Second clause: omnipotens nomen eius — nominal clause meaning “Omnipotent is His name,” with omnipotens as predicate and nomen as subject.

Morphology

  1. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  2. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: comparative marker; Translation: “as / like”; Notes: introduces metaphor.
  3. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “a man”; Notes: part of martial metaphor.
  4. pugnator — Lemma: pugnator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to vir; Translation: “warrior”; Notes: emphasizes divine combat.
  5. omnipotens — Lemma: omnipotens; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine/feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “almighty”; Notes: divine title.
  6. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “name”; Notes: nominative of statement.
  7. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers back to Dominus.

 

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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