Exodus 4:26

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 4:26 Et dimisit eum postquam dixerat: Sponsus sanguinum ob circumcisionem.

And she let him go after she had said: “A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 dimisit she let go 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 eum him ACC.SG.M
4 postquam after CONJ
5 dixerat she had said 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
6 Sponsus bridegroom NOM.SG.M
7 sanguinum of blood GEN.PL.N
8 ob because of PREP+ACC
9 circumcisionem circumcision ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause: Et dimisit eum — subject understood (Zipporah), verb dimisit, object eum.
Temporal clause: postquam dixerat — pluperfect dixerat marks action prior to release.
Quoted phrase: Sponsus sanguinum — predicate nominative addressed to Moses.
Prepositional phrase: ob circumcisionem — indicates cause (“because of the circumcision”).
Emphasis: the genitive sanguinum gives a ritual, blood-associated meaning.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links to previous narrative; Translation: and; Notes: continues the circumcision episode.
  2. dimisit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of releasing; Translation: she let go; Notes: perfect marks completed action.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dimisit; Translation: him; Notes: traditionally understood as Moses.
  4. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating temporal; Function: introduces time clause; Translation: after; Notes: governs indicative in classical and later Latin.
  5. dixerat — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: she had said; Notes: action prior to release.
  6. Sponsus — Lemma: sponsus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative in quoted speech; Translation: bridegroom; Notes: metaphorical expression.
  7. sanguinum — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine/neuter; Function: modifies Sponsus; Translation: of blood; Notes: conveys ritual-causal nuance.
  8. ob — Lemma: ob; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks cause; Translation: because of; Notes: expresses motive or reason.
  9. circumcisionem — Lemma: circumcisio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ob; Translation: circumcision; Notes: refers to the ritual act performed by Zipporah.

 

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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