Genesis 27:39

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:39 motus Isaac, dixit ad eum: In pinguedine terræ, et in rore cæli desuper

Isaac, moved, said to him: “In the richness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above 

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 motus moved NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
2 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
3 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
6 In in PREP+ABL
7 pinguedine richness ABL.SG.F
8 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F
9 et and CONJ
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 rore dew ABL.SG.M
12 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.M
13 desuper from above ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: motus Isaac, dixit ad eum — “Isaac, moved, said to him.”
The participle motus acts as a circumstantial participle indicating emotional movement (“being moved” or “having been moved”).
The prepositional phrases in pinguedine terræ and in rore cæli desuper function as locative or instrumental expressions, denoting the source and quality of the blessing Esau receives.

Morphology

  1. motus — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying “Isaac”; Translation: “moved”; Notes: Expresses emotional stirring or compassion, marking Isaac’s shift from denial to pity for Esau.
  2. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Subject of “dixit”; the patriarch acting under divine influence and emotion.
  3. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces Esau’s secondary blessing; perfect tense indicates completed utterance.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction or relation; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks Esau as the recipient of Isaac’s words.
  5. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Esau, connecting speech direction.
  6. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: prepositional phrase marker; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces locative or instrumental phrase, common in blessings describing prosperity.
  7. pinguedine — Lemma: pinguedo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “richness / fatness”; Notes: Denotes agricultural fertility — a material counterpart to Jacob’s spiritual blessing.
  8. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of source; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Indicates that abundance is derived from the earth’s fertility.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects material blessings — fertility of the soil with heavenly provision.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces the second locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Mirrors the structure of the previous phrase for poetic balance.
  11. rore — Lemma: ros; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “dew”; Notes: Symbol of divine grace and gentle nourishment from heaven.
  12. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of origin; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Represents celestial source of blessing, complementing earthly abundance.
  13. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “from above”; Notes: Strengthens “cæli” as the ultimate origin of prosperity, emphasizing divine oversight and heavenly provision.

 

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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