Genesis 25:6

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:6 filiis autem concubinarum largitus est munera, et separavit eos ab Isaac filio suo, dum adhuc ipse viveret, ad plagam orientalem.

but to the sons of the concubines he gave gifts, and he separated them from Isaac his son while he himself was still living, toward the eastern region.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 filiis to the sons DAT.PL.M
2 autem but CONJ
3 concubinarum of the concubines GEN.PL.F
4 largitus gave generously NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP.DEP
5 est is 3SG.PERF.IND
6 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
7 et and CONJ
8 separavit he separated 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 eos them ACC.PL.M
10 ab from PREP+ABL
11 Isaac Isaac ABL.SG.M
12 filio son ABL.SG.M
13 suo his ABL.SG.M
14 dum while CONJ
15 adhuc still ADV
16 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M
17 viveret was living 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
18 ad toward PREP+ACC
19 plagam region ACC.SG.F
20 orientalem eastern ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: filiis concubinarum (Indirect Object) + largitus est munera (Verb Phrase: “gave gifts”) + et separavit eos ab Isaac filio suo (Coordinated clause).
Temporal Clause: dum adhuc ipse viveret — Subordinate clause indicating time (“while he himself was still living”).
Phrase: ad plagam orientalem — Prepositional phrase of direction (“toward the eastern region”).
Clause Function: Together, the clauses describe Abraham’s final arrangements for his other sons, distributing gifts and sending them away during his lifetime.

Morphology

  1. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of largitus est; Translation: “to the sons”; Notes: Refers to descendants by the concubines, recipients of the gifts.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adversative conjunction introducing contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Commonly used in narrative transitions.
  3. concubinarum — Lemma: concubina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying filiis; Translation: “of the concubines”; Notes: Indicates maternal descent of the sons mentioned.
  4. largitus — Lemma: largior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb (participle); Form: Perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate of largitus est; Translation: “gave generously”; Notes: Deponent form meaning “to bestow, to grant.”
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Perfect indicative, third person singular; Function: Completes the periphrastic perfect; Translation: “has” or “did”; Notes: Forms compound perfect tense with largitus.
  6. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of largitus est; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: Plural refers to various possessions given.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential narrative actions.
  8. separavit — Lemma: separo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “he separated”; Notes: Marks Abraham’s deliberate division of inheritance.
  9. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of separavit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the sons of the concubines.
  10. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates separation or distance; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used spatially and socially to mark division.
  11. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of the preposition ab; Translation: “from Isaac”; Notes: Specifies separation from the legitimate heir.
  12. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Isaac; Translation: “son”; Notes: Clarifies kinship relationship in ablative case.
  13. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifies filio; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflects Abraham’s relationship to Isaac.
  14. dum — Lemma: dum; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “while”; Notes: Commonly followed by subjunctive in temporal context.
  15. adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies viveret; Translation: “still”; Notes: Adds temporal emphasis.
  16. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Emphatic subject within subordinate clause; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Adds emphasis to Abraham’s personal agency.
  17. viveret — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: Verb in temporal clause; Translation: “was living”; Notes: Subjunctive used after dum in temporal reference within indirect discourse.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Spatial orientation specifying where Abraham sent them.
  19. plagam — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “region”; Notes: Literally “quarter” or “region of the sky.”
  20. orientalem — Lemma: orientalis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies plagam; Translation: “eastern”; Notes: Indicates the direction eastward from Canaan.

 

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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