Genesis 26:29

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:29 ut non facias nobis quidquam mali, sicut et nos nihil tuorum attigimus, nec fecimus quod te læderet: sed cum pace dimisimus auctum benedictione Domini.

that you should not do us any harm, just as we have not touched anything of yours, nor have we done what might injure you; but in peace we have sent you away, who are now increased with the blessing of the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ut that CONJ
2 non not ADV
3 facias you may do 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
4 nobis to us DAT.PL.PRON
5 quidquam anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
6 mali of harm GEN.SG.N
7 sicut just as CONJ
8 et also CONJ
9 nos we NOM.PL.PRON
10 nihil nothing ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
11 tuorum of yours GEN.PL.N.PRON
12 attigimus we touched 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
13 nec nor CONJ
14 fecimus we did 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
15 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL.PRON
16 te you ACC.SG.PRON
17 læderet might harm 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
18 sed but CONJ
19 cum with PREP+ABL
20 pace peace ABL.SG.F
21 dimisimus we have sent away 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
22 auctum increased ACC.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
23 benedictione with blessing ABL.SG.F
24 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Purpose Clause: ut non facias nobis quidquam mali — “that you should not do us any harm.” ut introduces purpose; facias is the subjunctive verb; nobis marks the indirect object, and quidquam mali forms a partitive genitive (“anything of harm”).
Comparative Clause: sicut et nos nihil tuorum attigimus — “just as we have touched nothing of yours.” The conjunction sicut introduces comparison; attigimus is the perfect verb, and nihil tuorum expresses a negated object.
Coordinate Clause: nec fecimus quod te læderet — “nor have we done what might harm you.” quod introduces a relative clause; læderet is subjunctive in a clause of potential result.
Main Clause: sed cum pace dimisimus auctum benedictione Domini — “but in peace we have sent you away, increased with the blessing of the LORD.” dimisimus is the main verb; auctum is the participial complement referring to Isaac; benedictione Domini forms an ablative of means expressing divine cause.

Morphology

  1. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive “facias.”
  2. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates “facias.”
  3. facias — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you may do”; Notes: Expresses desired or feared action.
  4. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Indicates recipients of harm.
  5. quidquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Paired with “mali” for “anything of harm.”
  6. mali — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: “of harm”; Notes: Describes type of thing avoided.
  7. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “just as”; Notes: Links moral equivalence.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Reinforces fairness.
  9. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural; Function: subject; Translation: “we”; Notes: Stresses mutual conduct.
  10. nihil — Lemma: nihil; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “nothing”; Notes: Negated object of “attigimus.”
  11. tuorum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantivized); Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: possessive; Translation: “of yours”; Notes: Refers to Isaac’s property.
  12. attigimus — Lemma: attingo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we have touched”; Notes: Implies refraining from harm or theft.
  13. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces negative coordination; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Connects next clause negatively.
  14. fecimus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we have done”; Notes: Parallel to “attigimus.”
  15. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “what”; Notes: Object of “fecimus.”
  16. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Isaac as potential victim.
  17. læderet — Lemma: lædo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb in relative clause; Translation: “might harm”; Notes: Potential or hypothetical result.
  18. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: contrastive; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces contrast with previous actions.
  19. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Establishes peaceful attitude.
  20. pace — Lemma: pax; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “peace”; Notes: Indicates manner of dismissal.
  21. dimisimus — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we have sent away”; Notes: Describes amicable release.
  22. auctum — Lemma: augeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: object complement; Translation: “increased”; Notes: Refers to Isaac’s prosperous state.
  23. benedictione — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with blessing”; Notes: Denotes divine favor.
  24. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Specifies YHWH as the source of blessing.

 

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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