Genesis 26:20

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:20 Sed et ibi iurgium fuit pastorum Geraræ adversus pastores Isaac, dicentium: Nostra est aqua. quam ob rem nomen putei ex eo, quod acciderat, vocavit Calumniam.

But there also was a quarrel of the shepherds of Gerara against the shepherds of Isaac, saying: “The water is ours.” Therefore, from what had happened, he called the name of the well Calumny.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed But CONJ
2 et also CONJ
3 ibi there ADV
4 iurgium quarrel NOM.SG.N
5 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 pastorum of shepherds GEN.PL.M
7 Geraræ of Gerara GEN.SG.F
8 adversus against PREP+ACC
9 pastores shepherds ACC.PL.M
10 Isaac Isaac ACC.SG.M
11 dicentium saying GEN.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
12 Nostra our NOM.SG.F
13 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 aqua water NOM.SG.F
15 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
16 ob because of PREP+ACC
17 rem thing ACC.SG.F
18 nomen name ACC.SG.N
19 putei of the well GEN.SG.M
20 ex from PREP+ABL
21 eo that ABL.SG.N.DEMON.PRON
22 quod which NOM/ACC.SG.N.REL.PRON
23 acciderat had happened 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
24 vocavit called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
25 Calumniam Calumny ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: iurgium (subject) + fuit (verb) — expresses existence of a dispute.
pastorum Geraræ (genitive) modifies “iurgium” as possessive: “of the shepherds of Gerara.”
adversus pastores Isaac forms a prepositional phrase marking opposition (“against the shepherds of Isaac”).
The participle dicentium introduces indirect speech: “saying: Nostra est aqua.”
A causal clause begins with quam ob rem (“for which reason”), followed by vocavit (main verb of second clause) + nomen putei (object) + Calumniam (predicate complement).
ex eo quod acciderat expresses the cause: “from that which had happened.”

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Connects this verse to the previous narrative.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: copulative conjunction; Function: adds emphasis (“and also”); Translation: “also”; Notes: Reinforces inclusion of the following clause.
  3. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: locative adverb; Function: indicates place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the location of the well.
  4. iurgium — Lemma: iurgium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “quarrel”; Notes: Indicates contention or strife.
  5. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of existence; Translation: “was”; Notes: Simple past stating existence of a dispute.
  6. pastorum — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “of shepherds”; Notes: Expresses possession or relation.
  7. Geraræ — Lemma: Gerara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “pastorum”; Translation: “of Gerara”; Notes: Refers to the Philistine city Gerar.
  8. adversus — Lemma: adversus; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates opposition; Translation: “against”; Notes: Introduces opposing party.
  9. pastores — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “shepherds”; Notes: Parallel to “pastorum.”
  10. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: modifies “pastores”; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Marks possession—“shepherds of Isaac.”
  11. dicentium — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle genitive plural masculine; Function: agrees with “pastorum”; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  12. Nostra — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “our”; Notes: Refers to ownership of the water.
  13. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  14. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “water”; Notes: The disputed object of ownership.
  15. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to “rem.”
  16. ob — Lemma: ob; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses cause; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Forms idiom “ob rem.”
  17. rem — Lemma: res; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “thing”; Notes: Refers to preceding incident.
  18. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: Object of the verb “vocavit.”
  19. putei — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the well”; Notes: Specifies what “nomen” belongs to.
  20. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces cause phrase.
  21. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to preceding event.
  22. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces subordinate cause clause.
  23. acciderat — Lemma: accido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “had happened”; Notes: Past action explaining naming cause.
  24. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of naming; Translation: “called”; Notes: Isaac gives the name to the well.
  25. Calumniam — Lemma: Calumnia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “Calumny”; Notes: The symbolic name of the disputed well.

 

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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