Genesis 27:20

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:20 Rursumque Isaac ad filium suum: Quo modo, inquit, tam cito invenire potuisti, fili mi? Qui respondit: Voluntas Dei fuit ut cito occurreret mihi quod volebam:

And again Isaac said to his son: “How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?” He replied: “It was the will of God that what I desired should quickly meet me.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV + ENCLITIC
2 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 filium son ACC.SG.M
5 suum his ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
6 Quo how ABL.SG.N.INTERROG.ADV
7 modo manner / way ABL.SG.M
8 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 tam so / so much ADV
10 cito quickly ADV
11 invenire to find PRES.ACT.INF
12 potuisti you were able 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 fili son VOC.SG.M
14 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
15 Qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
16 respondit he replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 Voluntas will NOM.SG.F
18 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
19 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 ut that / in order that CONJ
21 cito quickly ADV
22 occurreret might meet 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
23 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
24 quod what / that which NOM.SG.N.REL.PRON
25 volebam I desired 1SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Rursumque Isaac ad filium suum — “And again Isaac to his son.” The adverb rursum marks repetition, showing Isaac’s continued questioning. The preposition ad introduces the indirect object of speech.
Direct Question: Quo modo tam cito invenire potuisti, fili mi? — “How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?” The phrase quo modo forms an interrogative adverbial phrase; invenire (infinitive) complements potuisti.
Relative Clause: Qui respondit… introduces Jacob’s deceptive reply.
Main Clause of Reply: Voluntas Dei fuit — “It was the will of God.” This serves as the primary assertion, with the following purpose clause:
Purpose Clause: ut cito occurreret mihi quod volebam — “that what I desired should quickly meet me.” The subjunctive occurreret expresses the intended or divinely arranged outcome.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic; Form: invariant; Function: temporal repetition marker; Translation: “and again”; Notes: The enclitic “-que” links to the continuing dialogue; shows renewed inquiry.
  2. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: The speaker in the first clause.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the recipient of Isaac’s address.
  4. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition “ad”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  5. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “filium”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates Isaac’s own son.
  6. Quo — Lemma: quo; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies “modo”; Translation: “how”; Notes: Introduces the interrogative phrase “quo modo.”
  7. modo — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “way / manner”; Notes: Completes “quo modo,” meaning “how.”
  8. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Used parenthetically for direct discourse.
  9. tam — Lemma: tam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: intensifier; Translation: “so”; Notes: Modifies “cito.”
  10. cito — Lemma: cito; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverb of manner; Translation: “quickly”; Notes: Indicates speed of success in Jacob’s supposed hunt.
  11. invenire — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to find”; Notes: Completes “potuisti.”
  12. potuisti — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of question; Translation: “you were able”; Notes: Expresses Isaac’s amazement at the speed of Jacob’s return.
  13. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “son”; Notes: Reflects Isaac’s tender but questioning tone.
  14. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fili”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Affectionate vocative.
  15. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces Jacob’s reply clause.
  16. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he replied”; Notes: Marks transition from Isaac’s question to Jacob’s response.
  17. Voluntas — Lemma: voluntas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “will”; Notes: Subject of “fuit,” signifying divine intention.
  18. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Indicates divine agency as Jacob’s justification.
  19. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “was”; Notes: Connects “Voluntas Dei” with the subordinate clause.
  20. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: expresses divine result; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Sets off the purpose of divine will.
  21. cito — Lemma: cito; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverb of manner; Translation: “quickly”; Notes: Emphasizes providential speed.
  22. occurreret — Lemma: occurro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “might meet”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses intended divine facilitation.
  23. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: The one receiving the providential encounter.
  24. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “occurreret”; Translation: “what / that which”; Notes: Refers to the hunted game Jacob pretended to find.
  25. volebam — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active 1st person singular; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: “I desired”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s wish, disguised under divine providence language.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.