Genesis 27:36

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:36 At ille subiunxit: Iuste vocatum est nomen eius Iacob: supplantavit enim me en altera vice: primogenita mea ante tulit, et nunc secundo surripuit benedictionem meam. Rursumque ad patrem: Numquid non reservasti, ait, et mihi benedictionem?

But he replied: “Rightly was his name called Jacob; for he has supplanted me now a second time: he took away my birthright before, and now again he has stolen my blessing.” And again he said to his father: “Have you not reserved a blessing also for me?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
3 subiunxit replied / added 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Iuste rightly ADV
5 vocatum called NOM.SG.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 est is / was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 nomen name NOM.SG.N
8 eius of him / his GEN.SG.M.PRON
9 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M
10 supplantavit has supplanted 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 enim for / indeed CONJ
12 me me ACC.SG.1ST.PRON
13 en now / behold INTERJ
14 altera second / another ABL.SG.F
15 vice time / occasion ABL.SG.F
16 primogenita birthright ACC.PL.N or NOM.SG.N
17 mea my ACC.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
18 ante before ADV / PREP+ACC
19 tulit he took away 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 et and CONJ
21 nunc now ADV
22 secundo secondly / again ADV / ABL.SG.N
23 surripuit has stolen 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
24 benedictionem blessing ACC.SG.F
25 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
26 Rursumque and again ADV + ENCLITIC
27 ad to PREP+ACC
28 patrem father ACC.SG.M
29 Numquid surely not / perhaps INTERROG.PART
30 non not ADV
31 reservasti have you reserved 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
32 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
33 et and CONJ
34 mihi for me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
35 benedictionem blessing ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: At ille subiunxit — “But he replied.” The conjunction At introduces contrastive dialogue.
Reported Speech: Iuste vocatum est nomen eius Iacob — “Rightly was his name called Jacob.” Passive perfect construction emphasizes the justness of the name.
Causal Clause: supplantavit enim me en altera vice — “for he has supplanted me now a second time.” Expresses reason through enim.
Sequential Clauses: primogenita mea ante tulit, et nunc secundo surripuit benedictionem meam — Parallel perfect verbs tulit and surripuit contrast Esau’s two losses: the birthright and the blessing.
Interrogative Clause: Numquid non reservasti et mihi benedictionem? — A rhetorical question implying despair: “Have you not reserved a blessing also for me?”

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Signals a shift in tone or argument, introducing Esau’s bitter reply following his lament.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Esau, continuing as the speaker, emphasizing his personal indignation.
  3. subiunxit — Lemma: subiungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he replied / added”; Notes: Conveys Esau’s continuation of speech, expressing emotional intensity rather than calm explanation.
  4. Iuste — Lemma: iuste; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: modifies “vocatum est”; Translation: “rightly”; Notes: Used ironically — Esau admits that Jacob’s name, meaning “supplanter,” was well chosen.
  5. vocatum — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive; Function: predicate participle; Translation: “called”; Notes: Works with “est” to form a perfect passive — emphasizes the past act of naming as divinely fitting.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “is / was”; Notes: Functions as a copula linking the subject “nomen” to the participle “vocatum.”
  7. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “vocatum est”; Translation: “name”; Notes: Refers to the name “Jacob,” which Esau deems prophetic of deceit.
  8. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, specifying whose name was rightly called so.
  9. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Name meaning “he supplants” (from Hebrew *ʿaqeb* = heel), which Esau uses as a pun to accuse his brother.
  10. supplantavit — Lemma: supplantare; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has supplanted”; Notes: Perfect tense stresses the completed action of Jacob’s deceit — one that has ongoing consequences.
  11. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: causal conjunction; Translation: “for / indeed”; Notes: Introduces Esau’s justification for his assertion about Jacob’s name.
  12. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular first person; Function: direct object; Translation: “me”; Notes: Indicates Esau as the direct victim of Jacob’s deception.
  13. en — Lemma: en; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariant; Function: exclamatory particle; Translation: “behold / now”; Notes: Expresses emotional intensity, highlighting the immediacy of his grievance.
  14. altera — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies “vice”; Translation: “second / another”; Notes: Indicates repetition — the second deceit following the loss of the birthright.
  15. vice — Lemma: vicis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time or occasion; Translation: “time / occasion”; Notes: Appears in the idiom “altera vice,” meaning “a second time.”
  16. primogenita — Lemma: primogenita; Part of Speech: noun (plural); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of “tulit”; Translation: “birthrights”; Notes: Refers to the first inheritance Esau lost in Genesis 25:33.
  17. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies “primogenita”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Intensifies ownership — the rights personally belonging to Esau.
  18. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: adverb / preposition; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “before”; Notes: Establishes temporal sequence of the first deception.
  19. tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he took away”; Notes: Perfect tense marks Esau’s completed loss of his birthright in the past.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the earlier and present deceptions for comparison.
  21. nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Marks transition from the past deceit to the current one — the stolen blessing.
  22. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective (used adverbially); Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “again / a second time”; Notes: Reinforces the repeated nature of Jacob’s deception.
  23. surripuit — Lemma: surripio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has stolen”; Notes: Denotes stealth or deceit — Jacob’s act done secretly and craftily.
  24. benedictionem — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “surripuit”; Translation: “blessing”; Notes: Represents the spiritual inheritance Isaac conferred upon Jacob.
  25. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “benedictionem”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses Esau’s personal sense of injustice and exclusion.
  26. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic -que; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial connector; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Links Esau’s continued dialogue — he turns once more to his father.
  27. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates direction of Esau’s renewed plea.
  28. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, the recipient of Esau’s desperate entreaty.
  29. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: invariant; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “surely not”; Notes: Expresses disbelief and anguish, expecting a negative answer.
  30. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Reinforces the negative tone of Esau’s plea.
  31. reservasti — Lemma: reservo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “have you reserved”; Notes: Expresses hope that Isaac may have retained some blessing for him — an appeal against hopelessness.
  32. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Resumes narration, marking transition from lament to inquiry.
  33. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects “mihi” to “benedictionem,” emphasizing Esau’s wish to share in divine favor.
  34. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Highlights Esau’s desperate desire for any remaining portion of the paternal blessing.
  35. benedictionem — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “reservasti”; Translation: “blessing”; Notes: The final object of Esau’s longing, representing both divine favor and inheritance lost forever.

Notes

  • Emotional Tone: Esau’s outcry Iuste vocatum est nomen eius Iacob blends bitterness and fatalism — acknowledging that Jacob’s name (“supplanter”) has proven prophetically accurate.
  • Lexical Contrast: The verbs tulit (“he took away”) and surripuit (“he stole secretly”) contrast open exchange versus hidden deceit — reflecting the progression from negotiation to outright trickery.
  • Repetition of Loss: The structure primogenita mea ante tulit, et nunc… benedictionem meam mirrors poetic lamentation, emphasizing Esau’s double dispossession.
  • Interrogative Pathos: The question Numquid non reservasti…? is not a genuine inquiry but a cry of despair, showing his inability to accept the finality of Isaac’s words.
  • Theological Dimension: The verse underscores divine sovereignty — despite Esau’s anguish, the blessing is irreversible, illustrating the mystery of election and covenantal destiny in Genesis.
  • Syntactic Observation: The juxtaposition of perfect tense verbs throughout (supplantavit, tulit, surripuit, reservasti) conveys completed events and permanence of loss — no undoing is possible.

 

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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