Genesis 26:22

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:22 Profectus inde fodit alium puteum, pro quo non contenderunt: itaque vocavit nomen eius, Latitudo, dicens: Nunc dilatavit nos Dominus, et fecit crescere super terram.

Having departed from there, he dug another well, over which they did not contend; therefore he called its name Spaciousness, saying: “Now the LORD has made us wide and has caused us to increase upon the land.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Profectus having departed NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
2 inde from there ADV
3 fodit he dug 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 alium another ACC.SG.M
5 puteum well ACC.SG.M
6 pro for/over PREP+ABL
7 quo which ABL.SG.M.REL.PRON
8 non not ADV
9 contenderunt they contended 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 itaque therefore CONJ
11 vocavit he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 nomen name ACC.SG.N
13 eius of it GEN.SG.M/NEUT.PRON
14 Latitudo Spaciousness NOM.SG.F
15 dicens saying NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
16 Nunc now ADV
17 dilatavit has widened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 nos us ACC.PL.PRON
19 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
20 et and CONJ
21 fecit has made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
22 crescere to increase INF.ACT.PRES
23 super upon PREP+ACC
24 terram land ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Profectus inde fodit alium puteum — “Having departed from there, he dug another well.” Profectus (participle) functions as a temporal modifier; fodit is the main verb with puteum as its object.
Relative Clause: pro quo non contenderunt — “over which they did not contend”; quo connects to “puteum.”
Result Clause: itaque vocavit nomen eius Latitudo — “therefore he called its name Spaciousness”; nomen is the object, Latitudo the predicate noun.
Participial Phrase: dicens introduces direct speech: “Nunc dilatavit nos Dominus, et fecit crescere super terram.”
Quoted Clause: Two coordinated finite verbs (dilatavit, fecit) share the same subject (Dominus), emphasizing divine action of expansion and blessing.

Morphology

  1. Profectus — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle form); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: “having departed”; Notes: Refers to Isaac leaving the previous location.
  2. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: indicates origin; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Demonstrates motion from the prior site of conflict.
  3. fodit — Lemma: fodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he dug”; Notes: Continuing the narrative of well-digging.
  4. alium — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “puteum”; Translation: “another”; Notes: Marks a new well distinct from the previous ones.
  5. puteum — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “well”; Notes: The new object of the digging action.
  6. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces cause or reference; Translation: “for” / “over”; Notes: Expresses reference to the well in dispute.
  7. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to “puteum.”
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the action of contention.
  9. contenderunt — Lemma: contendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “they contended”; Notes: Refers to the local shepherds who previously quarreled.
  10. itaque — Lemma: itaque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces conclusion; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Logical result of peaceful circumstances.
  11. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he called”; Notes: Describes Isaac naming the well.
  12. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: Object of “vocavit.”
  13. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “of it”; Notes: Refers to the well just mentioned.
  14. Latitudo — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Spaciousness”; Notes: Symbolic name representing peace and prosperity.
  15. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces direct discourse; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Participial form indicating explanation for the naming.
  16. Nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Marks moment of realization or divine favor.
  17. dilatavit — Lemma: dilato; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb in direct speech; Translation: “has widened”; Notes: Conveys sense of enlargement or blessing from YHWH.
  18. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object of “dilatavit”; Translation: “us”; Notes: Refers to Isaac and his household.
  19. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of both verbs; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the divine source of blessing.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating conjunction; Function: connects verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two divine actions.
  21. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has made”; Notes: Expresses divine causation.
  22. crescere — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to increase”; Notes: Dependent on “fecit.”
  23. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses location or sphere; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates area of prosperity.
  24. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the territory where Isaac settled.

 

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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