Genesis 30:7

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:7 Rursumque Bala concipiens, peperit alterum,

And again Bala, conceiving, bore another son,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV + ENCL.CONJ
2 Bala Bala NOM.SG.F.PROPN
3 concipiens conceiving PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.F
4 peperit bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 alterum another ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Rursumque Bala concipiens peperit alterum — The adverb Rursumque (“and again”) connects this event to the previous verse. The participle concipiens (“conceiving”) serves as a circumstantial modifier to peperit (“bore”).
Bala is the nominative subject, and alterum functions as the direct object, referring to another son born after Dan. The construction expresses sequential repetition of childbirth.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum + que; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects this event to the previous narrative; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Indicates continuation of a similar action, emphasizing recurrence.
  2. Bala — Lemma: Bala; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of peperit; Translation: “Bala”; Notes: Refers to Rachel’s maidservant who bears Jacob’s children.
  3. concipiens — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular feminine; Function: circumstantial participle describing state or action preceding peperit; Translation: “conceiving”; Notes: Indicates the natural process before birth.
  4. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “bore”; Notes: Describes the completed act of childbirth.
  5. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of peperit; Translation: “another (son)”; Notes: The noun “filium” is implied from context.

 

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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