Genesis 26:9

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:9 Et accersito eo, ait: Perspicuum est quod uxor tua sit: cur mentitus es eam sororem tuam esse? Respondit: Timui ne morerer propter eam.

And calling him, he said: “It is clear that she is your wife. Why did you say she was your sister?” He answered: “I feared that I might die because of her.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 accersito having been called PPP.ABL.SG.M
3 eo him PRON.ABL.SG.M
4 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Perspicuum clear ADJ.NOM.SG.N
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 quod that CONJ
8 uxor wife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
9 tua your POSS.ADJ.NOM.SG.F
10 sit is 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
11 cur why ADV
12 mentitus having lied PPP.NOM.SG.M.DEP
13 es you have 2SG.PRES.IND.ACT
14 eam her PRON.ACC.SG.F
15 sororem sister NOUN.ACC.SG.F
16 tuam your POSS.ADJ.ACC.SG.F
17 esse to be INF.PRES.ACT
18 Respondit he answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 Timui I feared 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 ne lest CONJ
21 morerer I might die 1SG.IMPF.SUBJ.DEP
22 propter because of PREP+ACC
23 eam her PRON.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clauses: ait (he said) and Respondit (he answered) introduce direct speech.
Subordinate Clauses:
— accersito eo: ablative absolute, “when he had been called.”
— quod uxor tua sit: object clause dependent on perspicuum est, expressing a statement of fact.
— cur mentitus es eam sororem tuam esse: indirect question introduced by cur.
— ne morerer propter eam: negative purpose clause expressing fear (“lest I might die because of her”).
Phrases: propter eam — causal prepositional phrase indicating reason.
Predicate: Perspicuum est quod uxor tua sit — “It is clear that she is your wife.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects this sentence with the previous; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating conjunction linking actions.
  2. accersito — Lemma: accerso; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having been called”; Notes: Indicates completed prior action.
  3. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute with accersito; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Isaac.
  4. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Often used for direct speech introduction.
  5. Perspicuum — Lemma: perspicuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate adjective with est; Translation: “clear”; Notes: Describes the obvious truth of the statement.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and complement.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces an object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Subordinates the statement as fact.
  8. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of sit; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Predicate of the indirect statement.
  9. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies uxor; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agrees in gender and number with uxor.
  10. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: Subjunctive used in indirect statement with quod.
  11. cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Governs the interrogative clause.
  12. mentitus — Lemma: mentior; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: perfect active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate with es; Translation: “having lied”; Notes: Deponent verb meaning “to lie.”
  13. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: auxiliary with mentitus; Translation: “you have”; Notes: Helps form perfect deponent construction.
  14. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: subject accusative of esse; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca.
  15. sororem — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “sister”; Notes: Complements eam with esse.
  16. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies sororem; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agrees with sororem in case and gender.
  17. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: infinitive present active; Function: infinitive of indirect statement; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Dependent on mentitus es.
  18. Respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: introduces answer clause; Translation: “he answered”; Notes: Signals shift to response speech.
  19. Timui — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I feared”; Notes: Governs subordinate clause of fear with ne.
  20. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces clause of fear; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Expresses negative purpose.
  21. morerer — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive 1st person singular; Function: verb of ne-clause; Translation: “I might die”; Notes: Subjunctive required after ne with verb of fearing.
  22. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces causal phrase; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Indicates cause.
  23. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of propter; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers again to Rebecca, the cause of the fear.

 

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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