Genesis 27:18

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:18 Quibus illatis, dixit: Pater mi? At ille respondit: Audio. Quis es tu fili mi?

When these had been brought in, he said: “My father?” But he replied: “I hear. Who are you, my son?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus when these / with which things ABL.PL.N.REL.PRON
2 illatis having been brought in ABL.ABS.PERF.PASS.PTCP.PL.N
3 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Pater father VOC.SG.M
5 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
6 At but CONJ
7 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
8 respondit he replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Audio I hear 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 Quis who NOM.SG.M.INTERROG.PRON
11 es are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 tu you NOM.SG.2ND.PRON
13 fili son VOC.SG.M
14 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Quibus illatis — “when these had been brought in.” The relative pronoun quibus with the perfect passive participle illatis forms an ablative absolute expressing temporal circumstance preceding the main verb.
Main Clause: dixit: Pater mi? — “he said: ‘My father?’” The vocative phrase expresses Jacob’s feigned greeting to Isaac.
Response Clause: At ille respondit: Audio. — “But he replied: ‘I hear.’” The conjunction at introduces contrast.
Interrogative Clause: Quis es tu fili mi? — “Who are you, my son?” A direct question with quis as subject complement and es as the linking verb.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: introduces ablative absolute; Translation: “when these / with which things”; Notes: Refers to the food items brought in by Jacob.
  2. illatis — Lemma: infero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative plural neuter; Function: with “quibus” forms ablative absolute; Translation: “having been brought in”; Notes: Indicates completed action preceding the dialogue.
  3. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Introduces Jacob’s direct speech.
  4. Pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “father”; Notes: Indicates Jacob addressing Isaac directly.
  5. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “pater”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses filial intimacy; idiomatic vocative form.
  6. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Signals the change of speaker and tone in dialogue.
  7. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “respondit”; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Isaac.
  8. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he replied”; Notes: Denotes Isaac’s verbal response to Jacob’s greeting.
  9. Audio — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 1st person singular; Function: direct statement; Translation: “I hear”; Notes: Suggests that Isaac recognizes a voice but not yet the speaker’s identity.
  10. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject complement; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the direct question identifying the speaker.
  11. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links “quis” and “tu.”
  12. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular 2nd person; Function: subject of “es”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphasizes the identity of the speaker in Isaac’s question.
  13. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “son”; Notes: Isaac’s affectionate form of address, typical in parental inquiry.
  14. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fili”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces familial tenderness even amid confusion.

 

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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