Genesis 29:33

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:33 Rursumque concepit et peperit filium, et ait: Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, dedit etiam istum mihi. vocavitque nomen eius Simeon.

And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: “Because the LORD has heard that I am despised, He has also given me this one.” And she called his name Simeon.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV+CONJ
2 concepit she conceived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 et and CONJ
4 peperit she bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 filium son ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 ait she said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Quoniam because CONJ
9 audivit has heard 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
11 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
12 haberi to be held PRES.PASS.INF
13 contemptui in contempt DAT.SG.M
14 dedit has given 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 etiam also ADV
16 istum this one ACC.SG.M.DEMONST.PRON
17 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
18 vocavitque and she called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
19 nomen name ACC.SG.N
20 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
21 Simeon Simeon ACC.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Sequential Narrative: Rursumque concepit et peperit filium — The adverb Rursumque (“and again”) links this event with the previous birth. The coordinated verbs concepit and peperit form a natural sequence of conception and birth, with filium as the shared direct object.
Quotation Clause: et ait: Quoniam audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui — ait introduces direct speech. The causal conjunction Quoniam (“because”) introduces the subordinate clause audivit me Dominus haberi contemptui, in which Dominus is the subject, me is the object, and haberi contemptui expresses an infinitive phrase of reported perception (“to be held in contempt”).
Result Clause: dedit etiam istum mihi — dedit is the main verb, with Dominus implied as subject. The direct object istum (“this one”) and indirect object mihi (“to me”) express divine favor.
Final Naming Clause: vocavitque nomen eius Simeon — The perfect verb vocavitque governs a double accusative (“she called his name Simeon”), closing the episode with the act of naming.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursus + que; Part of Speech: adverb + conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects repeated action; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Indicates continuity in Leah’s fertility narrative.
  2. concepit — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: first verb in sequence; Translation: “she conceived”; Notes: Marks the beginning of divine favor repeated.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links conception and birth.
  4. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: second verb in narrative; Translation: “she bore”; Notes: Denotes childbirth as completion of conception.
  5. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of both concepit and peperit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to her second son, Simeon.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins narrative sequence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces her speech.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: “she said”; Notes: Introduces quotation.
  8. Quoniam — Lemma: quoniam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Marks divine causation.
  9. audivit — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “has heard”; Notes: Implies divine attention to Leah’s suffering.
  10. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of audivit; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s personal experience of rejection.
  11. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of audivit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Represents YHWH’s hearing of affliction.
  12. haberi — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: infinitive of indirect discourse; Translation: “to be held”; Notes: Expresses Leah’s perceived status.
  13. contemptui — Lemma: contemptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: dative of purpose or result; Translation: “in contempt”; Notes: Indicates the scorn she endured.
  14. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has given”; Notes: Continues divine favor motif.
  15. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: intensifier; Translation: “also”; Notes: Stresses abundance of divine generosity.
  16. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dedit; Translation: “this one”; Notes: Refers to the newborn Simeon.
  17. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Recipient of divine favor.
  18. vocavitque — Lemma: voco + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming clause; Translation: “and she called”; Notes: Continues pattern of naming after divine acknowledgment.
  19. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: first accusative of naming construction; Translation: “name”; Notes: Direct object of vocavitque.
  20. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “his”; Notes: Possessor of the name (the newborn).
  21. Simeon — Lemma: Simeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second accusative of naming construction; Translation: “Simeon”; Notes: Hebrew origin from “to hear” (šāmaʿ), echoing the phrase “the LORD has heard.”

 

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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