Genesis 24:66

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:66 Servus autem cuncta, quæ gesserat, narravit Isaac.

And the servant recounted to Isaac everything that he had done.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Servus servant NOM.SG.M
2 autem but / however CONJ
3 cuncta all things / everything ACC.PL.N
4 quæ which ACC.PL.N REL.PRON
5 gesserat he had done 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
6 narravit told / recounted 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Isaac Isaac DAT.SG.M PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause: Servus autem narravit Isaac — the conjunction autem provides smooth narrative transition (“but” or “then”). The subject Servus and dative indirect object Isaac introduce the key characters, while narravit serves as the principal verb describing the act of recounting.
Object Clause: cuncta quæ gesserat — this is a relative clause functioning as the direct object of narravit. The neuter plural cuncta (“all things”) is clarified by quæ gesserat (“which he had done”), a pluperfect verb indicating prior completed action.
This sentence provides narrative closure, marking the transfer of testimony from servant to master. It is concise but complete — summing up the servant’s faithful execution of his mission and bringing the episode to its peaceful conclusion.

Morphology

  1. Servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of narravit; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s chief servant who arranged the marriage of Isaac.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional particle; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Common in Latin narrative to mark progression or gentle contrast.
  3. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively); Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Direct object of narravit; Translation: “everything / all things”; Notes: Collective sense referring to all his deeds.
  4. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Accusative Plural Neuter; Function: Object of gesserat; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause describing cuncta.
  5. gesserat — Lemma: gero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he had done / accomplished”; Notes: Implies completed action before the narration, emphasizing faithful fulfillment of duty.
  6. narravit — Lemma: narro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “told / recounted”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates simple past action summarizing the servant’s report.
  7. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object of narravit; Translation: “to Isaac”; Notes: Marks Isaac as the recipient of the servant’s faithful testimony.

Notes

  • The structure balances brevity with finality: Servus autem narravit Isaac closes the servant’s long journey of obedience and divine guidance.
  • The pluperfect gesserat denotes all prior events—the divine oath, the prayer, Rebecca’s appearance, and her acceptance—now recounted in summary form.
  • cuncta adds comprehensiveness: nothing was omitted, emphasizing the servant’s diligence and transparency before his master.
  • The word order Servus autem cuncta… narravit Isaac reflects the stylistic solemnity typical of Vulgate Latin narrative rhythm, placing the subject and conjunction first to mark thematic transition.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.