Exodus 4:25

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 4:25 Tulit idcirco Sephora acutissimam petram, et circumcidit præputium filii sui, tetigitque pedes eius, et ait: Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es.

Then Sephora took a very sharp stone, and she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said: “You are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulit she took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 idcirco therefore ADV
3 Sephora Zipporah NOM.SG.F
4 acutissimam very sharp ACC.SG.F
5 petram stone ACC.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 circumcidit she circumcised 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 præputium foreskin ACC.SG.N
9 filii of the son GEN.SG.M
10 sui her GEN.SG.M
11 tetigitque and she touched 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 pedes feet ACC.PL.M
13 eius his GEN.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 ait she said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 Sponsus bridegroom NOM.SG.M
17 sanguinum of blood GEN.PL.N
18 tu you NOM.SG
19 mihi to me DAT.SG
20 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main narrative clause: Tulit idcirco Sephora acutissimam petram — subject Sephora, verb Tulit, object acutissimam petram.
Sequential action: et circumcidit præputium filii sui — direct action on her son.
Further sequence: tetigitque pedes eius — she touches “his feet” (traditionally Moses).
Direct speech: Sponsus sanguinum tu mihi es — nominal sentence equating “you” with “a bridegroom of blood.”
Genitive construction: sanguinum modifies Sponsus expressing cause or characteristic.

Morphology

  1. Tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: she took; Notes: perfect of irregular verb.
  2. idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks result or inference; Translation: therefore; Notes: links action to preceding threat.
  3. Sephora — Lemma: Sephora; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: Zipporah; Notes: Moses’ wife.
  4. acutissimam — Lemma: acutissimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine superlative; Function: modifies petram; Translation: very sharp; Notes: intensifies the instrument used.
  5. petram — Lemma: petra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: stone; Notes: used as circumcision tool.
  6. et — conjunction; links narrative actions.
  7. circumcidit — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: action verb of ritual circumcision; Translation: she circumcised; Notes: ritual act averting divine threat.
  8. præputium — Lemma: præputium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: foreskin; Notes: object of circumcision.
  9. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifying præputium; Translation: of the son; Notes: refers to her child.
  10. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: her; Notes: reflexive referring to Zipporah.
  11. tetigitque — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative with -que; Function: next narrative action; Translation: and she touched; Notes: gesture expressing ritual or appeasement.
  12. pedes — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: feet; Notes: traditionally understood as Moses’ feet.
  13. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies pedes; Translation: his; Notes: refers to Moses.
  14. et — conjunction linking to speech verb.
  15. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: she said; Notes: common speech verb.
  16. Sponsus — Lemma: sponsus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: bridegroom; Notes: metaphorical designation.
  17. sanguinum — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: modifies Sponsus; Translation: of blood; Notes: expresses cause or circumstance.
  18. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of es; Translation: you; Notes: addressed to Moses.
  19. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: to me; Notes: expresses personal relationship.
  20. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb in nominal sentence; Translation: you are; Notes: completes identification.

 

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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