Genesis 30:8

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:8 pro quo ait Rachel: Comparavit me Deus cum sorore mea, et invalui: vocavitque eum, Nephthali.

for which Rachel said: “God has compared me with my sister, and I have prevailed.” And she called him Nephtali.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 pro for PREP + ABL
2 quo which ABL.SG.N.REL.PRON
3 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN
5 Comparavit has compared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
7 Deus God NOM.SG.M
8 cum with PREP + ABL
9 sorore sister ABL.SG.F
10 mea my ABL.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
11 et and CONJ
12 invalui I have prevailed 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 vocavitque and she called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
14 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
15 Nephthali Naphtali ACC.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Introductory Clause: pro quo ait Rachel — The prepositional phrase pro quo (“for which”) introduces a causal relationship with the previous event (Bala’s second son). Rachel is the subject of ait (“said”).
Quoted Clauses: Comparavit me Deus cum sorore mea, et invalui — The main subject Deus (“God”) governs the perfect verb Comparavit with double objects: me as the accusative and cum sorore mea as the ablative complement. et invalui adds a result, “and I have prevailed,” marking victory or divine favor.
Concluding Clause: vocavitque eum Nephthali — The conjunction -que connects the naming act to the preceding statement. eum (“him”) is the direct object, and Nephthali serves as the predicate accusative in a naming formula.

Morphology

  1. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces cause or reason; Translation: “for”; Notes: Refers to the reason for Rachel’s exclamation.
  2. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the birth of Bala’s second son.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common formula introducing speech in biblical Latin.
  4. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Speaker of the statement.
  5. Comparavit — Lemma: comparo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: “has compared”; Notes: Refers to divine parity between sisters.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of Comparavit; Translation: “me”; Notes: Rachel sees herself as being equated with her sister.
  7. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Comparavit; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the agent of comparison.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “with”; Notes: Links Rachel to her sister Leah.
  9. sorore — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “sister”; Notes: Indicates the person of comparison.
  10. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: agrees with sorore; Translation: “my”; Notes: Shows possession.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects coordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine comparison with human triumph.
  12. invalui — Lemma: invaleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “I have prevailed”; Notes: Rachel acknowledges victory or vindication.
  13. vocavitque — Lemma: voco + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming formula; Translation: “and she called”; Notes: Introduces naming act following reflection.
  14. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vocavitque; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the newborn child.
  15. Nephthali — Lemma: Nephthali; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative in naming; Translation: “Naphtali”; Notes: Hebrew for “my wrestling,” reflecting Rachel’s triumph theme.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.