Genesis 29:16

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:16 Habebat vero duas filias, nomen maioris Lia: minor vero appellabatur Rachel.

Now he had two daughters: the name of the elder was Lia, and the younger was called Rachel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Habebat he had 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
2 vero indeed ADV
3 duas two ACC.PL.F.NUM
4 filias daughters ACC.PL.F
5 nomen name NOM.SG.N
6 maioris of the elder GEN.SG.F.COMP.ADJ
7 Lia Leah NOM.SG.F.PROPN
8 minor the younger NOM.SG.F.COMP.ADJ
9 vero however ADV
10 appellabatur was called 3SG.IMPF.PASS.IND
11 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Habebat vero duas filias — The imperfect habebat denotes continuous possession (“he had”), with the object duas filias (“two daughters”). The adverb vero provides narrative contrast (“now” or “indeed”).
Subclause: nomen maioris Lia — Literally “the name of the elder [was] Leah,” with nomen as the subject and Lia as predicate nominative. The copula is implied.
Main Clause 2: minor vero appellabatur Rachel — The second contrastive clause, with minor (“the younger”) as subject, appellabatur as the main verb (“was called”), and Rachel as the predicate nominative.

Morphology

  1. Habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he had”; Notes: Indicates continuous or descriptive possession in the narrative.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: connective adverb introducing new detail; Translation: “indeed” / “now”; Notes: Used to transition or emphasize contrast.
  3. duas — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: quantifier modifying filias; Translation: “two”; Notes: Agrees in case, number, and gender.
  4. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of habebat; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Complements the verb of possession.
  5. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of an implied verb erat; Translation: “name”; Notes: Governs genitive maioris.
  6. maioris — Lemma: maior; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative); Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies nomen (“the name of the elder”); Translation: “of the elder”; Notes: Specifies which daughter is named.
  7. Lia — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Leah”; Notes: Subject complement to the implied erat.
  8. minor — Lemma: minor; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of appellabatur; Translation: “the younger”; Notes: Serves as contrast to maior.
  9. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: introduces contrasting clause; Translation: “however”; Notes: Highlights transition between the two daughters.
  10. appellabatur — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “was called”; Notes: Common deponent-like passive of naming.
  11. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative of appellabatur; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Completes the identification of the younger daughter.

 

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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