Genesis 27:43

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:43 Nunc ergo, fili mi, audi vocem meam, et consurgens fuge ad Laban fratrem meum in Haran:

Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran;

# Latin Gloss GRAMMAR TAG
1 Nunc now ADV
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 fili son VOC.SG.M
4 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
5 audi listen 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
6 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
7 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
8 et and CONJ
9 consurgens rising / getting up PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
10 fuge flee 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
11 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
12 Laban Laban ACC.SG.M
13 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
14 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
15 in in / at PREP+ACC
16 Haran Haran ACC.SG.LOCAL.PROPER

Syntax

Main Command: Nunc ergo, fili mi, audi vocem meam — Imperative of exhortation: “Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice.”
Participial Clause: et consurgens — Present participle indicating sequential action (“and having risen / rising up”), expressing preparatory movement before the next imperative.
Second Command: fuge ad Laban fratrem meum — Imperative of motion; direct command to flee to Rebekah’s brother.
Prepositional Phrase: in Haran — Locative sense of destination (“to Haran”), the place of refuge.
The verse combines urgent imperatives and affectionate address, typical of maternal warning and counsel.

Morphology

  1. Nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb introducing urgency; Translation: “now”; Notes: Marks a shift from report to immediate action — Rebekah’s swift response to danger.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: inferential particle; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Logical connector indicating cause and effect — Rebekah infers what must be done next.
  3. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: term of direct address; Translation: “son”; Notes: Used affectionately and urgently to gain attention, marking maternal intimacy.
  4. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fili”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Commonly used with vocative nouns to convey tenderness — “my son.”
  5. audi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “listen”; Notes: Rebekah instructs Jacob to heed her direction; imperative carries strong urgency.
  6. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “audi”; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Idiomatic Latin: “to listen to one’s voice” means “to obey.”
  7. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “vocem”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces authority and affection — she speaks as mother and protector.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates two commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two sequential imperatives, showing rapid progression of actions.
  9. consurgens — Lemma: consurgo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: temporal or attendant circumstance modifier; Translation: “rising / getting up”; Notes: Participial use implies preparatory movement before fleeing — a common biblical idiom meaning “arise and go.”
  10. fuge — Lemma: fugio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “flee”; Notes: Urgent imperative reflecting danger — Rebekah orders Jacob’s immediate departure.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction or goal; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Introduces the goal of motion, marking destination.
  12. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of preposition “ad”; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Rebekah’s brother and Jacob’s maternal uncle; his house is a refuge from Esau’s wrath.
  13. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: appositive to Laban; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Identifies relationship to Rebekah, providing reason for safety.
  14. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fratrem”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces familial bond and legitimacy of refuge.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative (motion toward); Function: indicates destination; Translation: “in / into”; Notes: Here used dynamically — motion into Haran.
  16. Haran — Lemma: Haran; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “Haran”; Notes: City of Mesopotamia where Abraham’s kin lived — refuge for Jacob and narrative link to patriarchal history.

 

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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