Genesis 28:17

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:17 Pavensque: Quam terribilis est, inquit, locus iste! non est hic aliud nisi domus Dei, et porta cæli.

And trembling he said: “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Pavensque and trembling SG.M.PRES.ACT.PART + ENCLITIC
2 Quam how ADV/EXCLAM
3 terribilis dreadful NOM.SG.M
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 inquit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 locus place NOM.SG.M
7 iste this NOM.SG.M.DEM
8 non not NEGATION
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 hic this NOM.SG.M.DEM
11 aliud other NOM.SG.N
12 nisi except CONJ
13 domus house NOM.SG.F
14 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
15 et and CONJ
16 porta gate NOM.SG.F
17 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Pavensque … inquit — the participial phrase pavensque (“and trembling”) modifies the subject, introducing the direct quotation through inquit.
Within the quotation: Quam terribilis est locus iste! — exclamatory structure where locus iste is the subject, est the copula, and terribilis the predicate adjective.
Then: non est hic aliud nisi domus Dei, et porta cæli — copulative sentence indicating exclusivity, with domus Dei and porta cæli functioning as predicate nominatives.

Morphology

  1. Pavensque — Lemma: paveo; Part of Speech: participle + conjunction; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle + enclitic -que; Function: modifies implied subject (Jacob); Translation: “and trembling”; Notes: Indicates reverent fear at divine presence.
  2. Quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: adverb/exclamative; Form: —; Function: introduces exclamation; Translation: “how”; Notes: Adds intensity to the statement of awe.
  3. terribilis — Lemma: terribilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “dreadful”; Notes: Expresses awe or sacred fear.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Joins subject and predicate.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: narrative verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common in biblical and classical Latin to frame quotations.
  6. locus — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the site of divine manifestation.
  7. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies locus; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates proximity to the speaker.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: negates clause; Translation: “not”; Notes: Forms part of the exclusive expression non … nisi.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Expresses identity and existence.
  10. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the same holy location.
  11. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “other”; Notes: Used in idiomatic construction “nothing else but.”
  12. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces exception clause; Translation: “except/unless”; Notes: Limits identity to divine reality.
  13. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “house”; Notes: Refers to God’s dwelling, metaphorically Bethel.
  14. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive modifier of domus; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Indicates possession by the divine.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins two predicate nominatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects “house of God” and “gate of heaven.”
  16. porta — Lemma: porta; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “gate”; Notes: Symbol of entry into divine realm.
  17. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive modifier of porta; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Denotes sacred destination of Jacob’s vision.

 

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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