Genesis 29:30

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:30 Tandemque potitus optatis nuptiis, amorem sequentis priori prætulit, serviens apud eum septem annis aliis.

And at last, having obtained the desired marriage, he preferred the love of the latter to the former, serving with him for another seven years.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tandemque and at last ADV+CONJ
2 potitus having obtained NOM.SG.M.PERF.PART.DEP
3 optatis desired ABL.PL.F.PERF.PART.PASS
4 nuptiis marriage ABL.PL.F
5 amorem love ACC.SG.M
6 sequentis of the latter GEN.SG.F.PRES.PART.ACT
7 priori to the former DAT.SG.F.COMP.ADJ
8 prætulit he preferred 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 serviens serving NOM.SG.M.PRES.PART.ACT
10 apud with / under PREP+ACC
11 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
12 septem seven INDECL.NUM
13 annis years ABL.PL.M
14 aliis other ABL.PL.M.ADJ

Syntax

Participial Phrase: Tandemque potitus optatis nuptiis — An ablative absolute-like construction expressing circumstance. The perfect participle potitus (from potior) governs the ablative optatis nuptiis (“having obtained the desired marriage”), indicating that Jacob has achieved his goal of marrying Rachel.
Main Clause: amorem sequentis priori prætulit — The main clause expresses Jacob’s preference. The verb prætulit (“he preferred”) takes a double object: amorem sequentis (the love of the latter, i.e., Rachel) and priori (to the former, i.e., Leah).
Supplementary Clause: serviens apud eum septem annis aliis — The present participle serviens functions adverbially, describing Jacob’s continued action “serving with him.” The prepositional phrase apud eum indicates the person he served (Laban), and septem annis aliis (ablative of time) expresses duration (“for another seven years”).

Morphology

  1. Tandemque — Lemma: tandem + que; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects clause while marking conclusion; Translation: “and at last”; Notes: Indicates resolution of the narrative sequence.
  2. potitus — Lemma: potior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: circumstantial participle with optatis nuptiis; Translation: “having obtained”; Notes: Deponent verb taking the ablative.
  3. optatis — Lemma: optatus; Part of Speech: participle (perfect passive used adjectivally); Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies nuptiis; Translation: “desired”; Notes: Describes the long-awaited union with Rachel.
  4. nuptiis — Lemma: nuptiae; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: governed by potitus; Translation: “marriage”; Notes: Refers to the act of marriage, often plural in Latin.
  5. amorem — Lemma: amor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of prætulit; Translation: “love”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s affection toward Rachel.
  6. sequentis — Lemma: sequor; Part of Speech: participle (present active deponent); Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies amorem; Translation: “of the latter”; Notes: Refers to Rachel, the second wife.
  7. priori — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative); Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of comparison with prætulit; Translation: “to the former”; Notes: Refers to Leah, the first wife.
  8. prætulit — Lemma: praefero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he preferred”; Notes: Takes accusative and dative in expressions of preference.
  9. serviens — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: participle (present active); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: adverbial participle; Translation: “serving”; Notes: Describes the continuing condition of Jacob’s labor.
  10. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses proximity or association; Translation: “with”; Notes: Common in Latin for “in the presence of” or “under.”
  11. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of apud; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Laban, Jacob’s employer and father-in-law.
  12. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Specifies the time of extended service.
  13. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Duration of Jacob’s continued work.
  14. aliis — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “other”; Notes: Marks the additional seven-year period.

 

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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