Exodus 2:4

Posted on February 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 2:4 stante procul sorore eius, et considerante eventum rei.

while his sister stood at a distance, watching the outcome of the matter.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 stante standing ABL.SG.F PRES.ACT.PART
2 procul at a distance ADV
3 sorore the sister ABL.SG.F
4 eius his GEN.SG
5 et and CONJ
6 considerante watching ABL.SG.F PRES.ACT.PART
7 eventum the outcome ACC.SG.M
8 rei of the matter GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Double Ablative Absolute:
stante procul sorore eius — “while his sister stood at a distance.”
• stante (participle) + sorore (noun) in ablative
• procul modifies the participial action

et considerante eventum rei — “and watching the outcome of the matter.”
• Second ablative absolute, coordinated by et
• eventum rei = “the outcome of the matter,” i.e., what would happen to the infant

Function: Both ablative absolutes describe Miriam’s vigilant observation of Moses placed in the Nile.

Morphology

  1. stante — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine present active participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “standing”; Notes: Refers to Moses’ sister, later named Miriam.
  2. procul — Lemma: procul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “stante”; Translation: “at a distance”; Notes: Indicates cautious observation.
  3. sorore — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: substantive part of ablative absolute; Translation: “the sister”; Notes: Identified traditionally as Miriam.
  4. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive genitive modifying “sorore”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the infant Moses.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects two ablative absolute clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links parallel participial constructions.
  6. considerante — Lemma: considero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular feminine present active participle; Function: part of second ablative absolute; Translation: “watching / observing”; Notes: Signifies intent attention.
  7. eventum — Lemma: eventus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “considerante”; Translation: “the outcome”; Notes: Means “result, fate.”
  8. rei — Lemma: res; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “eventum”; Translation: “of the matter”; Notes: Refers to Moses’ exposure in the Nile.

 

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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