Genesis 27:3

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:3 Sume arma tua, pharetram, et arcum, et egredere foras: cumque venatu aliquid apprehenderis,

Take your weapons, your quiver, and your bow, and go out into the field; and when you have caught something by hunting,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sume take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 arma weapons ACC.PL.N
3 tua your ACC.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
4 pharetram quiver ACC.SG.F
5 et and CONJ
6 arcum bow ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 egredere go out 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP
9 foras outside ADV
10 cumque and when CONJ
11 venatu by hunting ABL.SG.M (supine in -u)
12 aliquid something ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
13 apprehenderis you have caught 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Imperative Sequence: Sume arma tua, pharetram, et arcum, et egredere foras — A series of direct imperatives issued by Isaac to Esau. The direct object chain (arma tua, pharetram, et arcum) lists the hunting equipment. The verb egredere (deponent) adds motion, with foras specifying direction (“outdoors”).
Temporal Clause: cumque venatu aliquid apprehenderis — “and when you have caught something by hunting.” The conjunction cumque introduces a temporal clause with a future perfect verb apprehenderis, expressing a condition that must be completed before the next instruction.

Morphology

  1. Sume — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “take”; Notes: The imperative begins a direct address, initiating a sequence of commands from Isaac to Esau.
  2. arma — Lemma: arma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “weapons”; Notes: Refers collectively to Esau’s hunting gear.
  3. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies “arma”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates personal ownership of the hunting tools.
  4. pharetram — Lemma: pharetra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object in apposition; Translation: “quiver”; Notes: Greek loanword referring to the container for arrows.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects successive objects in the command.
  6. arcum — Lemma: arcus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “bow”; Notes: Instrument of Esau’s livelihood and skill as a hunter.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequentially connects imperative clauses.
  8. egredere — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present imperative deponent 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “go out”; Notes: Deponent imperative; indicates a movement command.
  9. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Specifies outward direction, toward open country for hunting.
  10. cumque — Lemma: cumque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines temporal “cum” with enclitic “-que” for narrative continuity.
  11. venatu — Lemma: venatus; Part of Speech: supine (from venor); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by hunting”; Notes: Supine in -u expressing the means or manner of the action “apprehenderis.”
  12. aliquid — Lemma: aliquis; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “something”; Notes: Object of “apprehenderis,” referring to hunted game.
  13. apprehenderis — Lemma: apprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “you have caught”; Notes: Future perfect denotes completed action prior to another future command in the sequence.

 

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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