Genesis 25:20

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:20 qui cum quadraginta esset annorum, duxit uxorem Rebeccam filiam Bathuelis Syri de Mesopotamia, sororem Laban.

who, when he was forty years old, took as wife Rebecca, the daughter of Bathuel the Syrian from Mesopotamia, the sister of Laban.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
2 cum when CONJ
3 quadraginta forty NUM.CARD.INDECL
4 esset was 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
5 annorum of years NOUN.GEN.PL.M
6 duxit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 uxorem wife NOUN.ACC.SG.F
8 Rebeccam Rebecca PROPN.ACC.SG.F
9 filiam daughter NOUN.ACC.SG.F
10 Bathuelis of Bathuel PROPN.GEN.SG.M
11 Syri Syrian ADJ.GEN.SG.M
12 de from PREP+ABL
13 Mesopotamia Mesopotamia PROPN.ABL.SG.F
14 sororem sister NOUN.ACC.SG.F
15 Laban Laban PROPN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: qui … duxit uxorem Rebeccam — qui (subject, referring to Isaac) introduces a relative clause describing Isaac’s marriage. The subordinate temporal clause cum quadraginta esset annorum modifies duxit, specifying the age at which the event occurred.
Within the direct object phrase, uxorem Rebeccam serves as the complete object, expanded by the apposition filiam Bathuelis Syri de Mesopotamia and sororem Laban, providing family and geographic background.

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “duxit”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, continuing the genealogical narrative.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive “esset.”
  3. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical modifier; Translation: “forty”; Notes: Denotes Isaac’s age at marriage.
  4. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive used after “cum” for temporal description.
  5. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: “of years”; Notes: Used with numeral to indicate age.
  6. duxit — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “took”; Notes: Refers to marriage (“took as wife”).
  7. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “duxit”; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Completes verbal sense “duxit uxorem.”
  8. Rebeccam — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to “uxorem”; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Identifies the wife by name.
  9. filiam — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to “Rebeccam”; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Introduces parental relation.
  10. Bathuelis — Lemma: Bathuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “filiam”; Translation: “of Bathuel”; Notes: Names Rebecca’s father.
  11. Syri — Lemma: Syrus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: adjectival genitive modifying “Bathuelis”; Translation: “the Syrian”; Notes: Specifies national identity.
  12. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces place of origin.
  13. Mesopotamia — Lemma: Mesopotamia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “Mesopotamia”; Notes: Geographic reference to region between the rivers.
  14. sororem — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to “Rebeccam”; Translation: “sister”; Notes: Adds family connection.
  15. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “sororem”; Translation: “of Laban”; Notes: Identifies Rebecca’s brother, significant later in narrative.

 

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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