Genesis 24:61

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:61 Igitur Rebecca, et puellæ illius, ascensis camelis, secutæ sunt virum: qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum:

Then Rebecca and her maidens, having mounted the camels, followed the man, who was hastening to return to his master;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Igitur then / therefore CONJ
2 Rebecca Rebecca NOM.SG.F PROPN
3 et and CONJ
4 puellæ maidens / girls NOM.PL.F
5 illius of her GEN.SG.F PRON
6 ascensis having mounted ABL.PL.M/F PTC.PERF.PASS
7 camelis camels ABL.PL.M
8 secutæ having followed NOM.PL.F PTC.PERF.DEP
9 sunt were / have 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND AUX
10 virum the man ACC.SG.M
11 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
12 festinus hastening / in haste NOM.SG.M ADJ
13 revertebatur was returning 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
14 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
15 dominum master ACC.SG.M
16 suum his own ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Igitur Rebecca, et puellæ illius, ascensis camelis, secutæ sunt virum — the conjunction Igitur connects this verse as the narrative consequence of the previous blessing. The ablative absolute ascensis camelis (“having mounted the camels”) sets the circumstance, while secutæ sunt (perfect deponent) serves as the main verb meaning “they followed.”
Relative Clause: qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum — describes “the man” (Abraham’s servant). The adjective festinus modifies the relative pronoun’s antecedent, emphasizing eagerness or haste. The imperfect revertebatur depicts continuous action: he “was returning” to Abraham.
The structure elegantly balances action and devotion — Rebecca’s obedient following mirrors the servant’s faithful urgency, both fulfilling divine direction.

Morphology

  1. Igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional connective; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Introduces narrative consequence from previous events.
  2. Rebecca — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of secutæ sunt; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Named subject leading the company.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Rebecca with her maidens.
  4. puellæ — Lemma: puella; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Feminine; Function: Coordinated subject with Rebecca; Translation: “maidens”; Notes: Refers to her attendants.
  5. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Demonstrative); Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Possessive modifier of puellæ; Translation: “of her”; Notes: Specifies belonging to Rebecca.
  6. ascensis — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Ablative Plural Perfect Passive Participle; Function: Part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having mounted”; Notes: Denotes completed preparatory action.
  7. camelis — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of ascensis; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Instrumental within the ablative absolute construction.
  8. secutæ — Lemma: sequor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent, Participle); Form: Nominative Plural Feminine Perfect Deponent Participle; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they followed”; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning; perfect tense for completed following.
  9. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Plural; Function: Auxiliary with deponent; Translation: “have / were”; Notes: Forms perfect tense of secutæ.
  10. virum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of secutæ sunt; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant.
  11. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of revertebatur; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to virum.
  12. festinus — Lemma: festinus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate or attributive modifier; Translation: “hastening”; Notes: Describes the man’s speed and eagerness.
  13. revertebatur — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent); Form: Imperfect Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “was returning”; Notes: Imperfect expresses continuous past motion.
  14. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses direction; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Indicates destination of the servant’s journey.
  15. dominum — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “master”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as the servant’s lord.
  16. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive Reflexive); Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies dominum; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive, marking faithful belonging to Abraham.

 

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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