Genesis 29:35

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:35 Quarto concepit, et peperit filium, et ait: Modo confitebor Domino. et ob hoc vocavit eum, Iudam: cessavitque parere.

And she conceived a fourth time and bore a son, and said: “Now I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called him Juda, and she ceased bearing.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quarto for the fourth time ADV
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 Modo now ADV
9 confitebor I will praise 1SG.FUT.DEP.IND
10 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 ob because of PREP + ACC
13 hoc this ACC.SG.N.DEMONST.PRON
14 vocavit she called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
16 Iudam Judah ACC.SG.M.PROPN
17 cessavitque and she ceased 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
18 parere bearing PRES.ACT.INF

Syntax

Narrative Structure: Quarto concepit, et peperit filium — The adverb Quarto indicates iteration (“for the fourth time”), with concepit and peperit forming the standard conception-birth sequence. filium is the direct object shared by both verbs.
Speech Clause: et ait: Modo confitebor Domino — The perfect verb ait introduces direct discourse. Modo intensifies immediacy (“now indeed”), while confitebor is a deponent future verb expressing resolution to praise YHWH.
Causal/Result Clause: et ob hoc vocavit eum Iudam — The prepositional phrase ob hoc (“because of this”) gives the reason for naming. vocavit governs a double accusative (“she called him Judah”).
Final Clause: cessavitque parere — The enclitic -que joins this final statement to the narrative. The verb cessavit (“she ceased”) with infinitive parere expresses cessation of childbirth, closing the fertility sequence.

Morphology

  1. Quarto — Lemma: quarto; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: indicates numerical sequence; Translation: “for the fourth time”; Notes: Marks the continuation of Leah’s childbearing.
  2. concepit — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “she conceived”; Notes: Begins the narrative of Judah’s birth.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects two sequential actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination.
  4. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: second action; Translation: “she bore”; Notes: Concludes the act of childbirth.
  5. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of peperit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Judah, Leah’s fourth son.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins narrative clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects to speech verb.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “she said”; Notes: Typical speech introducer in narrative prose.
  8. Modo — Lemma: modo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Indicates present resolution to praise.
  9. confitebor — Lemma: confiteor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: future indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb in quotation; Translation: “I will praise”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning; denotes thanksgiving.
  10. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of confitebor; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: YHWH as the recipient of praise.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins causal clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues sequence to result.
  12. ob — Lemma: ob; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Preposition of reason or motive.
  13. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ob; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s act of praise.
  14. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming clause; Translation: “she called”; Notes: Introduces name assignment.
  15. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vocavit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the newborn child.
  16. Iudam — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second accusative in naming construction; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: Derived from Hebrew *yādâ* (“to praise”), corresponding to Leah’s declaration.
  17. cessavitque — Lemma: cesso + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “and she ceased”; Notes: Marks closure of the childbirth cycle.
  18. parere — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive complement of cessavit; Translation: “to bear”; Notes: Expresses cessation of giving birth after Judah.

 

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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