Genesis 29:9

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Hn 29:9 Adhuc loquebantur, et ecce Rachel veniebat cum ovibus patris sui: nam gregem ipsa pascebat.

While they were still speaking, behold, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she herself was tending the flock.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Adhuc still ADV
2 loquebantur they were speaking 3PL.IMPF.DEP.IND
3 et and CONJ
4 ecce behold INTERJ
5 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN
6 veniebat was coming 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
7 cum with PREP+ABL
8 ovibus sheep ABL.PL.F
9 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
10 sui her GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
11 nam for CONJ
12 gregem flock ACC.SG.M
13 ipsa she herself NOM.SG.F.PRON
14 pascebat was feeding 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Adhuc loquebantur — “While they were still speaking”; Adhuc modifies the imperfect deponent verb loquebantur, describing ongoing action.
Main Clause: et ecce Rachel veniebat cum ovibus patris sui — Introduced by et ecce (“and behold”), this vivid narrative phrase presents a new scene. Rachel is the subject, veniebat is imperfect indicative showing continued approach, and cum ovibus patris sui expresses accompaniment and possession (“with her father’s sheep”).
Explanatory Clause: nam gregem ipsa pascebat — Causal conjunction nam explains Rachel’s presence; gregem is the object of pascebat, and ipsa emphasizes the subject (“she herself”).

Morphology

  1. Adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: temporal adverb modifying loquebantur; Translation: “still”; Notes: Indicates continuity of speech before the new action begins.
  2. loquebantur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: imperfect indicative deponent 3rd plural; Function: main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they were speaking”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple narrative connector.
  4. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: —; Function: introduces vivid appearance; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Used for dramatic immediacy.
  5. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of veniebat; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: The daughter of Laban, significant in the narrative’s unfolding.
  6. veniebat — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was coming”; Notes: Imperfect tense portrays continued or progressive motion.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces a prepositional phrase of company.
  8. ovibus — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Refers to livestock accompanying Rachel.
  9. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Indicates the owner of the sheep.
  10. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive possessive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive pronoun referring back to Rachel.
  11. nam — Lemma: nam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: Explains reason for preceding statement.
  12. gregem — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of pascebat; Translation: “flock”; Notes: Refers to sheep under Rachel’s care.
  13. ipsa — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “she herself”; Notes: Emphasizes Rachel’s personal action.
  14. pascebat — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was feeding”; Notes: Indicates habitual or continuous activity.

 

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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