Genesis 27:15

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:15 Et vestibus Esau valde bonis, quas apud se habebat domi, induit eum:

And with Esau’s very fine garments, which she had with her at home, she clothed him;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 vestibus with garments ABL.PL.F
3 Esau Esau’s GEN.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
4 valde very ADV
5 bonis fine / good ABL.PL.F.ADJ
6 quas which ACC.PL.F.REL.PRON
7 apud with / in the possession of PREP+ACC
8 se herself ACC.SG.F.REFL.PRON
9 habebat she had 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
10 domi at home LOC.SG.F
11 induit she clothed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 eum him ACC.SG.M.3RD.PRON

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: Et vestibus Esau valde bonis — “And with Esau’s very fine garments.” The ablative phrase expresses instrument or accompaniment; valde bonis modifies vestibus intensively.
Relative Clause: quas apud se habebat domi — “which she had with her at home.” The relative pronoun quas refers back to vestibus, and apud se indicates possession. The locative domi specifies where the garments were kept.
Main Clause: induit eum — “she clothed him.” The perfect verb completes the sentence, marking Rebecca’s decisive action in disguising Jacob.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins actions in sequence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects this verse to the previous preparations.
  2. vestibus — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: instrumental ablative; Translation: “with garments”; Notes: Denotes the clothing used to disguise Jacob as Esau.
  3. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “Esau’s”; Notes: Indicates ownership of the garments; name retained in Hebrew form.
  4. valde — Lemma: valde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: intensifier; Translation: “very”; Notes: Modifies the adjective “bonis,” emphasizing their quality.
  5. bonis — Lemma: bonus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies “vestibus”; Translation: “fine / good”; Notes: Describes the excellence or richness of Esau’s garments.
  6. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of “habebat”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to “vestibus,” introducing the relative clause.
  7. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates possession or association; Translation: “with / in the possession of”; Notes: Commonly expresses belonging or proximity.
  8. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “apud”; Translation: “herself”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca; emphasizes that she had possession of the garments.
  9. habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “she had”; Notes: Describes habitual possession, not a one-time act.
  10. domi — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun (locative); Form: locative singular feminine; Function: locative of place; Translation: “at home”; Notes: Special locative form, used instead of preposition “in.”
  11. induit — Lemma: induo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “she clothed”; Notes: Marks the completion of Rebecca’s act of disguise.
  12. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the one dressed in Esau’s clothing.

 

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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