Genesis 25:31

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:31 Cui dixit Iacob: Vende mihi primogenita tua.

Jacob said to him: “Sell me your birthright.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom REL.PRON.DAT.SG.M
2 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Iacob Jacob PROPN.NOM.SG.M
4 Vende sell 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPV
5 mihi to me PRON.DAT.SG.1PERS
6 primogenita birthright NOUN.ACC.PL.N
7 tua your PRON.POSS.ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Cui dixit Iacob — Cui (indirect object, “to whom”) introduces Esau as the addressee; dixit (verb) + Iacob (subject) means “Jacob said to him.”
Direct Speech Clause: Vende mihi primogenita tua — imperative command, “Sell me your birthright.” Vende (imperative) governs dative mihi and accusative primogenita tua as the object of sale.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to Esau, recipient of the speech.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks completed action introducing dialogue.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Speaker of the command.
  4. Vende — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “sell”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s proposition to Esau.
  5. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Recipient of the transaction.
  6. primogenita — Lemma: primogenitum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “birthright / firstborn privileges”; Notes: Refers to the rights of the firstborn son.
  7. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: adjective modifying “primogenita”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Marks possession by Esau.

 

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.