Genesis 29:29

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:29 cui pater servam Balam tradiderat.

to whom her father had given the servant Bala.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cui to whom DAT.SG.F.REL.PRON
2 pater father NOM.SG.M
3 servam servant ACC.SG.F
4 Balam Bilhah ACC.SG.F.PROPN
5 tradiderat had given 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: cui pater servam Balam tradiderat — A relative clause modifying Rachel from the previous sentence. The relative pronoun cui (“to whom”) introduces the clause and functions as the indirect object of tradiderat (“had given”).
pater is the nominative subject (“her father”), and the double accusatives servam and Balam specify what was given — the servant named Bala. The verb tradiderat (pluperfect) indicates that this gift had already occurred prior to Jacob’s marriage to Rachel.

Morphology

  1. cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of tradiderat; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to Rachel, linking to the previous verse.
  2. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of tradiderat; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Laban.
  3. servam — Lemma: serva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of tradiderat; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Specifies the object being given.
  4. Balam — Lemma: Bala; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to servam; Translation: “Bala”; Notes: Identifies the servant by name.
  5. tradiderat — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “had given”; Notes: Describes a completed action prior to Rachel’s 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.
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