Genesis 27:38

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:38 Cui Esau: Num unam, inquit, tantum benedictionem habes, pater? mihi quoque obsecro ut benedicas. Cumque eiulatu magno fleret,

And Esau said to him: “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me also, I beg you.” And when he wept with a great cry,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M.REL.PRON
2 Esau Esau NOM.SG.M
3 Num surely not INTERROG.PART
4 unam one ACC.SG.F.NUM.ADJ
5 inquit said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 tantum only ADV
7 benedictionem blessing ACC.SG.F
8 habes have 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 pater father VOC.SG.M
10 mihi for me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
11 quoque also ADV
12 obsecro I beg 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 ut that / so that CONJ
14 benedicas you may bless 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 Cumque and when CONJ
16 eiulatu with a cry ABL.SG.M
17 magno great ABL.SG.M.ADJ
18 flēret he wept 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Cui Esau … inquit — “And Esau said to him.” The dative Cui refers to Isaac, introducing direct speech.
Indirect Question: Num unam tantum benedictionem habes, pater? — Introduced by num, expecting a negative answer (“Do you have only one blessing, father?”).
Purpose Clause: ut benedicas — Subjunctive clause introduced by ut expressing Esau’s plea (“that you may bless me also”).
Temporal Clause: Cumque eiulatu magno fleret — Circumstantial cum-clause describing simultaneous emotion: “and when he wept with a great cry.”

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to Isaac as the recipient of Esau’s words, connecting to the prior verse.
  2. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Serves as the speaker, the rejected son making his desperate appeal.
  3. Num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: invariant; Function: introduces a question expecting a negative answer; Translation: “surely not”; Notes: Expresses disbelief that Isaac possesses only one blessing to give.
  4. unam — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “benedictionem”; Translation: “one”; Notes: Emphasizes the limitation of the father’s blessing, a central theme in the dialogue.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: parenthetical verb of speaking; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct quotation, functioning almost narratively without affecting tense sequence.
  6. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “only”; Notes: Restricts quantity, intensifying Esau’s sorrow at the perceived scarcity of blessings.
  7. benedictionem — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “habes”; Translation: “blessing”; Notes: Represents divine favor and inheritance — the essence of Esau’s loss.
  8. habes — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you have”; Notes: Simple present conveys present possession — Esau implies that Isaac’s blessings are finite and exclusive.
  9. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “father”; Notes: Emotional appeal reinforcing familial relationship within the lament.
  10. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Marks Esau as the intended beneficiary of the requested blessing.
  11. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial addition; Translation: “also”; Notes: Expresses inclusiveness, appealing to fairness — “me also, father.”
  12. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I beg”; Notes: A polite but desperate plea verb, showing Esau’s humility before Isaac.
  13. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces a purpose clause; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Leads into the subjunctive verb “benedicas,” showing Esau’s request as a desired outcome.
  14. benedicas — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 2nd person singular; Function: verb of the purpose clause; Translation: “you may bless”; Notes: Subjunctive mood expresses volition and entreaty; Esau implores rather than commands.
  15. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: temporal conjunction with connective; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Introduces circumstantial subordinate clause describing emotional context.
  16. eiulatu — Lemma: eiulatus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “with a cry”; Notes: Evokes the audible agony of Esau’s weeping; the noun itself suggests wailing or lament.
  17. magno — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “eiulatu”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Intensifies emotional magnitude, underscoring depth of despair.
  18. flēret — Lemma: fleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of circumstantial clause; Translation: “he wept”; Notes: Subjunctive in temporal clause conveys the emotional background, emphasizing the pathos of Esau’s tears.

 

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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