Exodus 18:11

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:11 Nunc cognovi, quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos: eo quod superbe egerint contra illos.

Now I know that the LORD is great above all gods, because they acted proudly against them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nunc now ADV
2 cognovi I know 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 quia that CONJ
4 magnus great ADJ.NOM.SG.M
5 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 super above PREP+ACC
7 omnes all ADJ.ACC.PL.M
8 deos gods NOUN.ACC.PL.M
9 eo because ADV / ABL.SG.M
10 quod that CONJ
11 superbe proudly ADV
12 egerint they acted 3PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 contra against PREP+ACC
14 illos them PRON.DEM.ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Statement:
Nunc cognovi — perfect indicative in a declarative sense: “now I know.”

Content Clause:
quia magnus Dominus super omnes deos — subject Dominus, predicate adjective magnus, comparative phrase super omnes deos.

Causal Clause:
eo quod superbe egerint contra illos — “because they acted proudly against them”; egerint = perfect subjunctive in causal clause.

Morphology

  1. Nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: now; Notes: signals transition or realization.
  2. cognovi — Lemma: cognosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: I know; Notes: perfect used with present-force meaning “I have come to know.”
  3. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: that; Notes: explanatory.
  4. magnus — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: great; Notes: describes Dominus.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses superiority; Translation: above; Notes: comparative spatial metaphor.
  7. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies deos; Translation: all; Notes: distributive totality.
  8. deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of super; Translation: gods; Notes: deities of the nations.
  9. eo — Lemma: is (ablative) / eo (adverb); Part of Speech: adverb/pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: part of fixed phrase eo quod; Translation: because; Notes: strengthens causal force.
  10. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: that / because; Notes: complements eo.
  11. superbe — Lemma: superbe; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies egerint; Translation: proudly; Notes: indicates arrogance.
  12. egerint — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 3rd plural; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: they acted; Notes: subjunctive in causal eo quod construction.
  13. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses opposition; Translation: against; Notes: adversative.
  14. illos — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the Egyptians’ treatment of Israel.

 

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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