Genesis 29:18

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:18 Quam diligens Iacob, ait: Serviam tibi pro Rachel filia tua minore, septem annis.

And Jacob, loving her, said: “I will serve you for Rachel, your younger daughter, for seven years.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quam whom ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
2 diligens loving NOM.SG.M.PRES.PART.ACT
3 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M.PROPN
4 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Serviam I will serve 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 tibi you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
7 pro for PREP+ABL
8 Rachel Rachel ABL.SG.F.PROPN
9 filia daughter ABL.SG.F
10 tua your ABL.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
11 minore younger ABL.SG.F.COMP.ADJ
12 septem seven INDECL.NUM
13 annis years ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Participial Phrase: Quam diligens Iacob — The relative pronoun Quam refers to Rachel from the previous verse. The present participle diligens (from *diligo*, “to love”) modifies Iacob, creating a descriptive clause: “Jacob, loving her.”
Main Clause: ait: Serviam tibi pro Rachel filia tua minore, septem annis — The verb ait (“said”) introduces direct speech. Within the quotation, Serviam (“I will serve”) is the main verb with the dative tibi (“to you”). The prepositional phrase pro Rachel filia tua minore expresses the purpose or exchange (“for Rachel, your younger daughter”). The ablative of time duration septem annis specifies how long Jacob will serve (“for seven years”).

Morphology

  1. Quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of diligens; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to Rachel, linking back to previous sentence.
  2. diligens — Lemma: diligo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: modifies Iacob; Translation: “loving”; Notes: Expresses emotional state concurrent with speech.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Speaker and agent of the following action.
  4. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative verb meaning “he said.”
  5. Serviam — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb in direct speech; Translation: “I will serve”; Notes: Expresses future voluntary action.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of serviam; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Laban, recipient of service.
  7. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces expression of exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates purpose or compensation.
  8. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Specifies the woman Jacob desires to marry.
  9. filia — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: appositive to Rachel; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Clarifies familial relationship.
  10. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies filia; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Laban as father of Rachel.
  11. minore — Lemma: minor; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative); Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies filia; Translation: “younger”; Notes: Distinguishes Rachel from Leah.
  12. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Indicates duration of service.
  13. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Specifies the period of Jacob’s service.

 

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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