Genesis 29:27

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:27 Imple hebdomadam dierum huius copulæ: et hanc quoque dabo tibi pro opere quo serviturus es mihi septem annis aliis.

Fulfill the week of this marriage, and I will also give you this one for the work in which you shall serve me for another seven years.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Imple fulfill 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
2 hebdomadam week ACC.SG.F
3 dierum of days GEN.PL.M
4 huius of this GEN.SG.F.DEMONST.PRON
5 copulæ marriage GEN.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 hanc this one ACC.SG.F.DEMONST.PRON
8 quoque also ADV
9 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 tibi to you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
11 pro for / in exchange for PREP+ABL
12 opere work ABL.SG.N
13 quo in which ABL.SG.N.REL.PRON
14 serviturus about to serve NOM.SG.M.FUT.ACT.PART
15 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 mihi me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
17 septem seven INDECL.NUM
18 annis years ABL.PL.M
19 aliis other ABL.PL.M.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause 1 (Imperative): Imple hebdomadam dierum huius copulæ — The verb Imple (imperative) commands Jacob to complete the “week of days” (a Hebrew idiom for the wedding feast). The genitives dierum and huius copulæ describe the type of week (“the week of this marriage”).
Main Clause 2 (Future Indicative): et hanc quoque dabo tibi — dabo is the main verb of promise, with hanc (“this one,” i.e., Rachel) as the direct object and tibi as the indirect object. quoque adds emphasis (“also”).
Relative Clause: pro opere quo serviturus es mihi septem annis aliis — The prepositional phrase pro opere expresses exchange (“for the work”). The relative quo refers to opere, governing the future active participle serviturus with auxiliary es (“you are about to serve”). The ablative of time septem annis aliis specifies duration (“for another seven years”).

Morphology

  1. Imple — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “fulfill”; Notes: Imperative of command from Laban to Jacob.
  2. hebdomadam — Lemma: hebdomas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Imple; Translation: “week”; Notes: Refers to the seven-day marriage celebration.
  3. dierum — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: “of days”; Notes: Specifies the nature of the week’s duration.
  4. huius — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies copulæ; Translation: “of this”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s wedding celebration.
  5. copulæ — Lemma: copula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: complements huius; Translation: “marriage”; Notes: Denotes union or wedding.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links two main propositions.
  7. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of dabo; Translation: “this one”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  8. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates addition to previous promise.
  9. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Future statement of intent.
  10. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates Jacob as recipient.
  11. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exchange or compensation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the condition for Rachel’s hand.
  12. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: “work”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s continued service.
  13. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “in which”; Notes: Refers to opere.
  14. serviturus — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: participle (future active); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate with es; Translation: “about to serve”; Notes: Indicates purpose or forthcoming obligation.
  15. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: auxiliary with serviturus; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Forms future periphrastic tense.
  16. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “me”; Notes: Indicates Laban as beneficiary of service.
  17. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Specifies duration of second service period.
  18. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Time expression of the length of service.
  19. aliis — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “other”; Notes: Indicates distinction from the first seven years.

 

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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