Genesis 25:1

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:1 Abraham vero aliam duxit uxorem nomine Ceturam:

Abraham indeed took another wife named Cetura;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M
2 vero indeed ADV
3 aliam another ACC.SG.F
4 duxit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
6 nomine by name ABL.SG.N
7 Ceturam Keturah ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Abraham (Subject) + duxit (Verb) + aliam uxorem (Direct Object).
Phrase: nomine Ceturam — ablative of specification or naming, indicating her name.

Morphology

  1. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of the verb; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Patriarchal name of Hebrew origin, uninflected in Latin.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective adverb expressing contrast or continuation; Translation: “indeed” or “but”; Notes: Commonly used in narrative transition to mark a new episode.
  3. aliam — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies uxorem; Translation: “another”; Notes: Indicates an additional wife distinct from Sarah and Hagar.
  4. duxit — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: Main verb of the clause; Translation: “took”; Notes: Literally “led,” often idiomatic for “to take as wife.”
  5. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of duxit; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Common term for “spouse” in Classical and Biblical Latin.
  6. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Ablative of specification indicating name; Translation: “by name”; Notes: Used in idiomatic expressions “nomine + [name]” meaning “named.”
  7. Ceturam — Lemma: Cetura; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Apposition to uxorem identifying her by name; Translation: “Cetura”; Notes: Latinized form of Hebrew Qeturah (קְטוּרָה), meaning “incense.”

 

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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