Genesis 29:26

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:26 Respondit Laban: Non est in loco nostro consuetudinis, ut minores ante tradamus ad nuptias.

Laban replied: “It is not the custom in our place to give the younger in marriage before the elder.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Respondit he replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Laban Laban NOM.SG.M.PROPN
3 Non not ADV
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 loco place ABL.SG.M
7 nostro our ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
8 consuetudinis of custom GEN.SG.F
9 ut that / in order that CONJ
10 minores younger women ACC.PL.F.COMP.ADJ.SUBST
11 ante before ADV/PREP+ACC
12 tradamus we give 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 nuptias marriage ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Respondit Laban — Perfect active respondit introduces direct speech, with Laban as the nominative subject.
Predicate Construction: Non est in loco nostro consuetudinis — The negative existential construction expresses local custom: “It is not the custom in our place.” The prepositional phrase in loco nostro provides location, while consuetudinis (genitive of quality) specifies the type of thing lacking.
Subjunctive Clause: ut minores ante tradamus ad nuptias — Introduced by ut (“that”), this clause depends on the phrase “non est consuetudinis” and uses the subjunctive tradamus to express an action contrary to established custom. The comparative adverb ante highlights the improper sequence, “before [the elder].”

Morphology

  1. Respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he replied”; Notes: Signals the beginning of Laban’s justification to Jacob.
  2. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: The speaker defending local custom.
  3. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb est.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms copulative structure expressing existence or state.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces the phrase in loco nostro.
  6. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the local setting or region.
  7. nostro — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies loco; Translation: “our”; Notes: Indicates the community’s tradition.
  8. consuetudinis — Lemma: consuetudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description; Translation: “of custom”; Notes: Defines the character of the local norm.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Used with subjunctive to describe expected or allowed action.
  10. minores — Lemma: minor; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative, substantive use); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of tradamus; Translation: “younger women”; Notes: Refers implicitly to younger daughters.
  11. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: adverb / preposition; Form: adverbial here; Function: modifies tradamus; Translation: “before”; Notes: Expresses the chronological order being discussed.
  12. tradamus — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st plural; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “we give”; Notes: Subjunctive mood under ut expressing custom or propriety.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose or relation; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces destination of action (nuptias).
  14. nuptias — Lemma: nuptiae; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “marriage”; Notes: Used idiomatically for “to give in marriage.”

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.