Genesis 27:6

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:6 dixit filio suo Iacob: Audivi patrem tuum loquentem cum Esau fratre tuo, et dicentem ei:

she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit she said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 filio to (her) son DAT.SG.M
3 suo her DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
4 Iacob Jacob DAT.SG.M (proper noun)
5 Audivi I heard 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 patrem father ACC.SG.M
7 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
8 loquentem speaking PRES.ACT.PTCP.ACC.SG.M
9 cum with PREP+ABL
10 Esau Esau ABL.SG.M (proper noun)
11 fratre brother ABL.SG.M
12 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
13 et and CONJ
14 dicentem saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.ACC.SG.M
15 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit filio suo Iacob — “She said to her son Jacob.” The verb dixit takes the dative indirect object filio suo Iacob.
Indirect Speech: Audivi patrem tuum loquentem cum Esau fratre tuo, et dicentem ei — “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him.”
The verb Audivi governs an accusative + participle construction (patrem … loquentem), a common Latin idiom expressing perception of speech. The second participle dicentem extends the description of Isaac’s speech, joined by et for coordination.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “she said”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca initiating her speech to Jacob.
  2. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (her) son”; Notes: Marks the recipient of Rebecca’s address.
  3. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies “filio”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to Rebecca as the possessor.
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “filio suo”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Identifies to whom Rebecca speaks.
  5. Audivi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person singular; Function: introduces indirect speech; Translation: “I heard”; Notes: Signals Rebecca’s report of overheard conversation.
  6. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of perception; Translation: “father”; Notes: Direct object of “Audivi.”
  7. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “patrem”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Establishes Jacob’s relationship to Isaac.
  8. loquentem — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: present active participle accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate participle; Translation: “speaking”; Notes: Indicates ongoing speech during the moment Rebecca overheard.
  9. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: Marks the companion of Isaac’s speech.
  10. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition “cum”; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Indicates the interlocutor in Isaac’s conversation.
  11. fratre — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: appositive to “Esau”; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Specifies the familial relation to Jacob.
  12. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fratre”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Clarifies that the brother in question is Jacob’s own.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects participial phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links “loquentem” and “dicentem,” showing successive or simultaneous speech actions.
  14. dicentem — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle accusative singular masculine; Function: participle of continued action; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Describes further speech content Isaac directed to Esau.
  15. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Esau as the recipient of Isaac’s words.

 

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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