Exodus 18:9

Posted on March 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 18:9 Lætatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis, quæ fecerat Dominus Israeli, eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum,

And Jethro rejoiced over all the good things which the LORD had done for Israel, because He had delivered him from the hand of the Egyptians,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Lætatusque and rejoiced PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M + CONJ
2 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Iethro Jethro NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 super over / because of PREP+ABL
5 omnibus all ADJ.ABL.PL.N
6 bonis good things NOUN.ABL.PL.N
7 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
8 fecerat had done 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
9 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 Israeli for Israel NOUN.DAT.SG.M
11 eo because ADV / ABL.SG.M
12 quod that / because CONJ
13 eruisset had delivered 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
14 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
15 de from PREP+ABL
16 manu hand NOUN.ABL.SG.F
17 Ægyptiorum of the Egyptians NOUN.GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause:
Lætatusque est Iethro super omnibus bonis — deponent perfect with est; super + ablative expresses rejoicing over something.

Relative Clause:
quæ fecerat Dominus Israeli — “which the LORD had done for Israel”; pluperfect indicates prior divine action.

Causal Clause:
eo quod eruisset eum de manu Ægyptiorum — “because He had delivered him from the hand of the Egyptians”; eo quod introduces reason.

Morphology

  1. Lætatusque — Lemma: laetor + que; Part of Speech: deponent verb (perfect participle) + conjunction; Form: perfect deponent participle nominative singular masculine; Function: main verb (deponent); Translation: and rejoiced; Notes: -que joins with previous narrative sequence.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative 3rd singular; Function: auxiliary with deponent participle; Translation: (has / was); Notes: forms perfect tense of laetor.
  3. Iethro — Lemma: Iethro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Jethro; Notes: agent of rejoicing.
  4. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses cause or topic; Translation: over / because of; Notes: denotes rejoicing about something.
  5. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies bonis; Translation: all; Notes: distributive sense.
  6. bonis — Lemma: bonum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: good things; Notes: material and spiritual benefits.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of fecerat; Translation: which; Notes: connects to bonis.
  8. fecerat — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: had done; Notes: prior divine action.
  9. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fecerat; Translation: LORD; Notes: YHWH as actor of beneficence.
  10. Israeli — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: for Israel; Notes: beneficiary of divine action.
  11. eo — Lemma: is (ablative) / eo (adverbial); Part of Speech: adverb or pronoun (ablative singular masculine); Form: ablative; Function: adverbial element in causal phrase eo quod; Translation: because; Notes: forms fixed expression eo quod.
  12. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: that / because; Notes: complements eo.
  13. eruisset — Lemma: eruo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: had delivered; Notes: subjunctive following eo quod with causal nuance.
  14. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of eruisset; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Israel.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: origin or liberation preposition.
  16. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: hand; Notes: symbolizes power or control.
  17. Ægyptiorum — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies manu; Translation: of the Egyptians; Notes: identifies oppressors.

 

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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