Genesis 29:11

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:11 Et adaquato grege, osculatus est eam: et elevata voce flevit,

And when the flock had been watered, he kissed her, and lifting up his voice, wept,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 adaquato having been watered ABL.SG.M.PERF.PART.PASS
3 grege flock ABL.SG.M
4 osculatus having kissed NOM.SG.M.PERF.PART.DEP
5 est he 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
6 eam her ACC.SG.F.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 elevata having been lifted ABL.SG.F.PERF.PART.PASS
9 voce voice ABL.SG.F
10 flevit wept 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal/Participial Clause: Et adaquato grege — Ablative absolute construction; adaquato (perfect passive participle) and grege (ablative noun) together mean “when the flock had been watered.”
Main Clause 1: osculatus est eam — Deponent verb construction with auxiliary est; literally “he kissed her.” The participle osculatus carries the perfect sense.
Main Clause 2: et elevata voce flevit — Another ablative absolute (elevata voce, “having lifted his voice”) precedes the main verb flevit (“he wept”), forming a sequence of emotional actions.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects the participial phrase to the main clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential connector introducing the next narrative action.
  2. adaquato — Lemma: adaquo; Part of Speech: participle (perfect passive); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having been watered”; Notes: Refers to the flock being fully supplied with water.
  3. grege — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute with adaquato; Translation: “flock”; Notes: Specifies the entity acted upon in the participial phrase.
  4. osculatus — Lemma: osculor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: deponent participle serving as main verb with est; Translation: “having kissed”; Notes: Deponent form conveying active meaning.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary completing deponent verb construction; Translation: “he”; Notes: Used with perfect participle to form perfect tense.
  6. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of osculatus est; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins clauses sequentially; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links emotional response to preceding action.
  8. elevata — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: participle (perfect passive); Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: in ablative absolute with voce; Translation: “having been lifted”; Notes: Expresses attendant circumstance.
  9. voce — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: noun of ablative absolute; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Means of expression linked to weeping.
  10. flevit — Lemma: fleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he wept”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed emotional outburst.

 

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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