Genesis 26:25

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:25 Itaque ædificavit ibi altare: et invocato nomine Domini, extendit tabernaculum: præcepitque servis suis ut foderunt puteum.

Therefore he built there an altar, and having called on the name of the LORD, he pitched a tent; and he commanded his servants that they should dig a well.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Itaque therefore CONJ
2 ædificavit he built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ibi there ADV
4 altare altar ACC.SG.N
5 et and CONJ
6 invocato having called on ABL.SG.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
7 nomine name ABL.SG.N
8 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
9 extendit he spread/pitched 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 tabernaculum tent ACC.SG.N
11 præcepitque and he commanded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
12 servis to the servants DAT.PL.M
13 suis his DAT.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
14 ut that CONJ
15 foderunt they dug 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
16 puteum well ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Itaque ædificavit ibi altare — “Therefore he built there an altar.” The conjunction Itaque introduces a logical result from the LORD’s appearance. ædificavit serves as the main verb, with altare as its object.
Subordinate Phrase: et invocato nomine Domini — “and having called on the name of the LORD,” a perfect participial phrase denoting a prior or simultaneous act of worship.
Main Clause 2: extendit tabernaculum — “he pitched a tent.”
Main Clause 3: præcepitque servis suis ut foderunt puteum — “and he commanded his servants that they should dig a well.” The conjunction ut introduces a substantive clause expressing the command’s content.

Morphology

  1. Itaque — Lemma: itaque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces consequence; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Connects the divine encounter with Isaac’s subsequent act of worship.
  2. ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he built”; Notes: Common verb for constructing altars to YHWH.
  3. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: indicates location; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to Beersheba.
  4. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “altar”; Notes: Symbol of worship and covenant remembrance.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects worship actions in sequence.
  6. invocato — Lemma: invoco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “having called on”; Notes: Expresses prior or attendant action of prayer.
  7. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object within ablative absolute; Translation: “name”; Notes: Common idiom for invoking divine presence.
  8. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, worshipped by Isaac.
  9. extendit — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he spread/pitched”; Notes: Describes setting up residence near the altar.
  10. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “tent”; Notes: Denotes Isaac’s temporary dwelling.
  11. præcepitque — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “and he commanded”; Notes: Enclitic “-que” links this with the prior clause.
  12. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (his) servants”; Notes: Indicates those who receive the command.
  13. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: possessive adjective; Translation: “his”; Notes: Agrees with “servis.”
  14. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces purpose or content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause of instruction.
  15. foderunt — Lemma: fodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “they dug”; Notes: Describes the action commanded to the servants.
  16. puteum — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “well”; Notes: Continues the recurring motif of Isaac’s wells symbolizing divine provision.

 

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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