Genesis 27:13

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:13 Ad quem mater: In me sit, ait, ista maledictio, fili mi: tantum audi vocem meam, et pergens affer quæ dixi.

To whom his mother said: “Upon me be that curse, my son; only obey my voice, and going, bring what I have said.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ad to / toward PREP+ACC
2 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL.PRON
3 mater mother NOM.SG.F
4 In upon / in PREP+ABL
5 me me ABL.SG.1ST.PRON
6 sit let it be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 ait she said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 ista that NOM.SG.F.DEM.PRON
9 maledictio curse NOM.SG.F
10 fili son VOC.SG.M
11 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
12 tantum only ADV
13 audi obey / listen 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
14 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
15 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
16 et and CONJ
17 pergens going PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
18 affer bring 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
19 quæ which / what ACC.PL.N.REL.PRON
20 dixi I have said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Ad quem mater: In me sit ista maledictio — “To whom his mother said: Upon me be that curse.” The prepositional phrase Ad quem introduces the addressee (Jacob). The subjunctive sit expresses a wish or concessive acceptance of consequence.
Vocative Address: fili mi — “my son,” a tender address reinforcing reassurance.
Imperative Sequence: tantum audi vocem meam, et pergens affer quæ dixi — “only obey my voice, and going, bring what I have said.” The adverb tantum adds emphasis on obedience as the sole requirement. The participle pergens denotes immediate motion accompanying the main command affer.

Morphology

  1. Ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction or relation; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the person addressed by Rebecca.
  2. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, continuing narrative focus.
  3. mater — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “mother”; Notes: Identifies Rebecca as the speaker.
  4. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location or burden; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates where responsibility should fall.
  5. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of preposition “in”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Rebecca assumes personal accountability for potential curse.
  6. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: expresses wish or concessive acceptance; Translation: “let it be”; Notes: Shows Rebecca’s determination to bear consequences.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: narrative parenthesis; Translation: “she said”; Notes: Common verb for direct speech in narrative Latin.
  8. ista — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “maledictio”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the previously mentioned potential curse.
  9. maledictio — Lemma: maledictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “sit”; Translation: “curse”; Notes: Object of Rebecca’s statement, now redirected toward herself.
  10. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “son”; Notes: Personal and intimate address reinforcing maternal authority.
  11. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fili”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Term of affection showing tenderness amid danger.
  12. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: restrictive modifier; Translation: “only”; Notes: Limits Jacob’s concern to one act—obedience.
  13. audi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “obey / listen”; Notes: Central imperative reinforcing Rebecca’s guidance.
  14. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “audi”; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Represents Rebecca’s words and instruction.
  15. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “vocem”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Personalizes the command to her authority.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential instructions—obedience and action.
  17. pergens — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “going”; Notes: Describes accompanying action, showing readiness.
  18. affer — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “bring”; Notes: Echoes earlier instructions for immediacy of action.
  19. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of “affer”; Translation: “what”; Notes: Refers to the items (kids) Rebecca had described previously.
  20. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have said”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates Rebecca’s earlier instructions now being recalled.

 

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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