Genesis 30:2

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:2 Cui iratus respondit Iacob: Num pro Deo ego sum, qui privavit te fructu ventris tui?

To whom Jacob, being angry, replied: “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of your womb?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.F.REL.PRON
2 iratus angry NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART (of irascor)
3 respondit he replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M.PROPN
5 Num is it that…? INTERROG.PART
6 pro for / in place of PREP + ABL
7 Deo God ABL.SG.M
8 ego I NOM.SG.1P.PRON
9 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
11 privavit has deprived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 te you ACC.SG.2P.PRON
13 fructu fruit ABL.SG.M
14 ventris of the womb GEN.SG.M
15 tui your GEN.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Relative Clause of Speech: Cui iratus respondit Iacob — The relative pronoun Cui introduces the indirect object (“to whom”) of respondit. The participle iratus modifies Iacob, indicating emotional state (“being angry”).
Direct Question: Num pro Deo ego sum — Num introduces a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer (“Am I perhaps in the place of God?”). The prepositional phrase pro Deo expresses substitution.
Relative Clause: qui privavit te fructu ventris tui — qui refers to Deo, forming a defining clause. privavit governs the accusative te (direct object) and ablative fructu ventris tui (means or separation), meaning “who has deprived you of the fruit of your womb.”

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to Rachel as recipient of Jacob’s reply.
  2. iratus — Lemma: irascor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle passive in form but active in meaning; Function: modifies Iacob; Translation: “angry”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s emotional response.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he replied”; Notes: Governs the dative Cui.
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch addressing Rachel.
  5. Num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: —; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting “no”; Translation: “is it that…?”; Notes: Signals disbelief or correction.
  6. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates substitution; Translation: “for / in place of”; Notes: Marks divine role Jacob denies possessing.
  7. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition pro; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as giver of life.
  8. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of sum; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic position following pro Deo.
  9. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: copula; Translation: “am”; Notes: Completes rhetorical question.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of privavit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Deo.
  11. privavit — Lemma: privo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “has deprived”; Notes: Denotes divine causation.
  12. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of privavit; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  13. fructu — Lemma: fructus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of separation or means; Translation: “from the fruit”; Notes: Expresses the thing withheld.
  14. ventris — Lemma: venter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the womb”; Notes: Completes the phrase “fruit of the womb.”
  15. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: agrees with ventris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes personal barrenness.

 

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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