Genesis 28:16

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:16 Cumque evigilasset Iacob de somno, ait: Vere Dominus est in loco isto, et ego nesciebam.

And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said: “Truly the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 evigilasset he had awakened 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 somno sleep ABL.SG.M
6 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Vere truly ADV
8 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 loco place ABL.SG.M
12 isto this ABL.SG.M.DEM
13 et and CONJ
14 ego I NOM.SG.PRON
15 nesciebam I did not know 1SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque evigilasset Iacob de somno — subordinating conjunction cumque introduces temporal clause (“and when”), with evigilasset as the verb in the pluperfect subjunctive; Iacob is the subject, and de somno forms an ablative of separation.
Main Clause: ait introduces direct speech that follows.
Quoted Statement 1: Vere Dominus est in loco isto — declarative sentence asserting the LORD’s presence; Dominus is the subject, est the copula, and in loco isto a prepositional predicate phrase.
Quoted Statement 2: et ego nesciebam — coordinate clause joined by et; ego is the subject, nesciebam the imperfect indicative verb of cognition expressing past ignorance.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal with enclitic -que; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links temporal event to preceding vision.
  2. evigilasset — Lemma: evigilo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had awakened”; Notes: Subjunctive used after cum to express time relation.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of evigilasset; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Hebrew name retained in Latin form.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used with somno to denote emergence from sleep.
  5. somno — Lemma: somnus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: “sleep”; Notes: Marks source of awakening.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common narrative verb in Latin biblical style.
  7. Vere — Lemma: vere; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: intensifier; Translation: “truly”; Notes: Expresses emphasis or astonishment.
  8. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, divine presence in the place.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links Dominus with location phrase.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Expresses spatial presence.
  11. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: Denotes sacred site of revelation.
  12. isto — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies loco; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates immediacy or nearness.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins coordinate clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects second statement of realization.
  14. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of nesciebam; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expresses personal contrast with divine presence.
  15. nesciebam — Lemma: nescio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “I did not know”; Notes: Imperfect tense indicates continuous past ignorance before realization.

 

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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