Genesis 26:8

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:8 Cumque pertransissent dies plurimi, et ibidem moraretur, prospiciens Abimelech rex Palæstinorum per fenestram, vidit eum iocantem cum Rebecca uxore sua.

And after many days had passed, while he was staying there, Abimelech, king of the Palestines, looking out through a window, saw him playing with Rebecca his wife.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 pertransissent had passed 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 dies days NOUN.NOM.PL.M
4 plurimi many ADJ.NOM.PL.M
5 et and CONJ
6 ibidem in the same place ADV
7 moraretur he was staying 3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.DEP
8 prospiciens looking out PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
9 Abimelech Abimelech NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 rex king NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 Palæstinorum of the Philistines NOUN.GEN.PL.M
12 per through PREP+ACC
13 fenestram window NOUN.ACC.SG.F
14 vidit he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
16 iocantem playing PRES.ACT.PART.ACC.SG.M
17 cum with PREP+ABL
18 Rebecca Rebecca NOUN.ABL.SG.F
19 uxore wife NOUN.ABL.SG.F
20 sua his POSS.ADJ.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: vidit Abimelech rex Palæstinorum eum iocantem cum Rebecca uxore sua — subject Abimelech rex Palæstinorum, verb vidit, object eum iocantem, with prepositional phrase cum Rebecca uxore sua.
Subordinate Clauses: Cumque pertransissent dies plurimi, et ibidem moraretur — temporal clause describing the circumstance prior to the main event.
Phrases: per fenestram — prepositional phrase indicating means (“through a window”).
Participial phrase: prospiciens Abimelech — nominative participle expressing contemporaneous action (“Abimelech, looking out”).

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: enclitic -que attached to temporal conjunction; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links temporal clause to main clause.
  2. pertransissent — Lemma: pertranseo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd person plural; Function: verb of subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “had passed”; Notes: Subjunctive after *cum*-temporal construction.
  3. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of *pertransissent*; Translation: “days”; Notes: Masculine form despite variable gender.
  4. plurimi — Lemma: plurimus; Part of Speech: adjective (superlative); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies *dies*; Translation: “many”; Notes: Indicates an extended period of time.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects two subordinate actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating conjunction linking *moraretur* with *pertransissent*.
  6. ibidem — Lemma: ibidem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: modifies *moraretur*; Translation: “in the same place”; Notes: Indicates location continuity.
  7. moraretur — Lemma: moror; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “was staying”; Notes: Deponent, agreeing with *cum* clause mood.
  8. prospiciens — Lemma: prospicio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies *Abimelech*; Translation: “looking out”; Notes: Describes the manner of the main action.
  9. Abimelech — Lemma: Abimelech; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of *vidit*; Translation: “Abimelech”; Notes: A Philistine king.
  10. rex — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to *Abimelech*; Translation: “king”; Notes: Appositional title specifying his role.
  11. Palæstinorum — Lemma: Palæstinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the Philistines”; Notes: Identifies national domain.
  12. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces means or instrument; Translation: “through”; Notes: Indicates spatial relation.
  13. fenestram — Lemma: fenestra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of *per*; Translation: “window”; Notes: Literal architectural opening.
  14. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “saw”; Notes: Indicates completed perception.
  15. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of *vidit*; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Isaac.
  16. iocantem — Lemma: iocor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: present active participle accusative singular masculine; Function: object complement of *eum*; Translation: “playing”; Notes: Implies intimacy revealing the true relationship.
  17. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Marks association.
  18. Rebecca — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of *cum*; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Wife of Isaac.
  19. uxore — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: apposition to *Rebecca*; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Identifies relationship.
  20. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: agrees with *uxore*; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive reference to Isaac.

 

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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