Genesis 27:34

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:34 Auditis Esau sermonibus patris, irrugiit clamore magno: et consternatus, ait: Benedic etiam et mihi, pater mi.

When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with a great shout; and being confounded, he said: “Bless me also, my father.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Auditis having heard ABL.PL.PERF.PASS.PTCP
2 Esau Esau NOM.SG.M
3 sermonibus words ABL.PL.M
4 patris of (his) father GEN.SG.M
5 irrugiit he cried out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 clamore with a shout ABL.SG.M
7 magno great ABL.SG.M.ADJ
8 et and CONJ
9 consternatus being confounded NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
10 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 Benedic Bless 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
12 etiam also ADV
13 et and CONJ
14 mihi me / for me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
15 pater father VOC.SG.M
16 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Auditis Esau sermonibus patris — “When Esau heard the words of his father.” The ablative absolute expresses time and circumstance.
Main Clause 1: irrugiit clamore magno — “he cried out with a great shout.” The ablative phrase clamore magno denotes manner.
Participial Phrase: et consternatus — “and being confounded,” showing Esau’s emotional collapse following realization.
Main Clause 2 (Direct Speech): ait: Benedic etiam et mihi, pater mi — “he said: Bless me also, my father.” Direct address with imperative Benedic reveals desperation and grief.

Morphology

  1. Auditis — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: ablative plural perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “having heard”; Notes: Introduces the temporal setting; denotes Esau’s reaction immediately following Isaac’s words.
  2. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Serves as grammatical subject; Hebrew origin name preserved directly in Latin.
  3. sermonibus — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: “words”; Notes: Indicates that Esau’s grief is caused by hearing Isaac’s words.
  4. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Shows possession — Isaac is the one whose words are heard.
  5. irrugiit — Lemma: irrugio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he cried out”; Notes: Strong, vivid verb denoting a roaring cry — conveys emotional agony.
  6. clamore — Lemma: clamor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “with a shout”; Notes: Expresses the manner of Esau’s cry.
  7. magno — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “clamore”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Adds intensity to Esau’s emotional response.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential reactions within the same emotional scene.
  9. consternatus — Lemma: consterno; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “being confounded”; Notes: Indicates mental and emotional collapse; mirrors Hebrew idiom of inner turmoil.
  10. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech with dramatic immediacy.
  11. Benedic — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “bless”; Notes: Expresses Esau’s desperate plea for a paternal blessing, echoing covenantal language.
  12. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: intensifier; Translation: “also”; Notes: Strengthens Esau’s request by insisting on inclusion despite exclusion.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins “etiam” and “mihi” for rhetorical emphasis.
  14. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Emphasizes the personal aspect of Esau’s appeal to his father.
  15. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “father”; Notes: Expresses both respect and desperation, highlighting intimacy in the plea.
  16. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “pater”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Intensifies affection and familial bond, common in emotional or supplicatory speech.

Notes

      • Emotional Language: The verb irrugiit is rare and vivid, describing Esau’s outcry as a roar of pain, not mere weeping — signaling the depth of despair over the lost blessing.
      • Ablative Absolute: Auditis sermonibus patris sets the temporal and causal background, linking the act of hearing to Esau’s immediate emotional reaction.
      • Imperative Force: The use of Benedic demonstrates Esau’s desperation and hope that his father’s word could still alter destiny, though the narrative will soon confirm the blessing’s irreversibility.
      • Word Order: The delayed direct speech heightens dramatic tension — the roar precedes the plea, visually and aurally expressing grief before words can form.
      • Theological Context: This verse encapsulates the irreversible nature of divine election: despite Esau’s agony, the blessing once spoken remains irrevocable, reflecting divine sovereignty over human will.

 

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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