Genesis 30:1

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:1 Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori suæ, et ait marito suo: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar.

But when Rachel saw that she was barren, she envied her sister and said to her husband: “Give me children, or else I will die.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cernens seeing PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.F
2 autem however CONJ
3 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN
4 quod that CONJ
5 infecunda barren NOM.SG.F.ADJ
6 esset was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
7 invidit she envied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 sorori her sister DAT.SG.F
9 suæ her own DAT.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
10 et and CONJ
11 ait she said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 marito to her husband DAT.SG.M
13 suo her own DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
14 Da give 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
15 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
16 liberos children ACC.PL.M
17 alioquin otherwise ADV
18 moriar I will die 1SG.FUT/PR.SUBJ.DEP

Syntax

Temporal-Causal Clause: Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset — The participle Cernens governs an indirect statement introduced by quod. Rachel is the subject, infecunda esset forms the subordinate clause with the subjunctive expressing perceived reality (“that she was barren”).
Main Clause: invidit sorori suæ — The verb invidit takes a dative complement (sorori suæ), typical of verbs expressing envy or favor.
Speech Clause: et ait marito suo — ait introduces direct discourse, with marito suo as the indirect object.
Direct Speech: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar — The imperative Da expresses demand, while mihi marks the dative of recipient. liberos serves as direct object, and alioquin moriar is a conditional apodosis expressing consequence (“otherwise I will die”).

Morphology

  1. Cernens — Lemma: cerno; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular feminine; Function: introduces subordinate perception clause; Translation: “seeing”; Notes: Describes Rachel’s observation of her own condition.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: transitional particle; Translation: “however”; Notes: Introduces contrast with Leah’s fertility.
  3. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of Cernens and invidit; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Proper name of Jacob’s beloved wife.
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces indirect statement; Translation: “that”; Notes: Commonly used after verbs of perception.
  5. infecunda — Lemma: infecundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective of esset; Translation: “barren”; Notes: Describes Rachel’s physical condition.
  6. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive under indirect discourse.
  7. invidit — Lemma: invideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “she envied”; Notes: Requires dative of person envied.
  8. sorori — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of invidit; Translation: “to (her) sister”; Notes: Refers to Leah.
  9. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative singular feminine; Function: agrees with sorori; Translation: “her own”; Notes: Reflexive, emphasizing kinship.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues narrative flow.
  11. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “she said”; Notes: Standard speech verb.
  12. marito — Lemma: maritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of ait; Translation: “to her husband”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  13. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: agrees with marito; Translation: “her own”; Notes: Reflects possessive relationship.
  14. Da — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “give”; Notes: Imperative plea directed to Jacob.
  15. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of Da; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks recipient of desired offspring.
  16. liberos — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of Da; Translation: “children”; Notes: Expresses Rachel’s request.
  17. alioquin — Lemma: alioquin; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: introduces alternative consequence; Translation: “otherwise”; Notes: Establishes conditional tone.
  18. moriar — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present or future subjunctive 1st singular; Function: main verb of consequence; Translation: “I will die”; Notes: Deponent form, expressing desperation.

 

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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