Genesis 30:9

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:9 Sentiens Lia quod parere desiisset, Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit.

And Lia, perceiving that she had ceased to bear children, gave her handmaid Zelpha to her husband.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sentiens perceiving PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.F
2 Lia Leah NOM.SG.F.PROPN
3 quod that CONJ
4 parere to bear PRES.ACT.INF
5 desiisset had ceased 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
6 Zelpham Zilpah ACC.SG.F.PROPN
7 ancillam handmaid ACC.SG.F
8 suam her ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
9 marito to (her) husband DAT.SG.M
10 tradidit gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Sentiens Lia quod parere desiisset — The participle Sentiens (“perceiving”) governs the subordinate clause introduced by quod (“that”), expressing awareness. Parere serves as the infinitive complement of desiisset (“had ceased”), forming a periphrastic structure: “that she had ceased to bear children.”
Main Clause: Zelpham ancillam suam marito tradidit — The verb tradidit governs a double accusative construction (Zelpham and ancillam suam), identifying both person and role. Marito is the dative of the recipient (“to her husband”). The action shows Leah’s imitation of Rachel’s earlier act.

Morphology

  1. Sentiens — Lemma: sentio; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular feminine; Function: circumstantial participle introducing temporal clause; Translation: “perceiving”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s awareness of her infertility.
  2. Lia — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of Sentiens and tradidit; Translation: “Leah”; Notes: Acts as agent of the action.
  3. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a subordinate clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Links cause or perception.
  4. parere — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of desiisset; Translation: “to bear (children)”; Notes: Infinitive marks the act Leah ceased doing.
  5. desiisset — Lemma: desino; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had ceased”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses reported perception.
  6. Zelpham — Lemma: Zelpha; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of tradidit; Translation: “Zilpah”; Notes: The maid Leah gives to Jacob.
  7. ancillam — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to Zelpham; Translation: “handmaid”; Notes: Identifies Zilpah’s social role.
  8. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: agrees with ancillam; Translation: “her”; Notes: Marks possession referring to Leah.
  9. marito — Lemma: maritus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object (recipient); Translation: “to her husband”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the recipient of Zilpah.
  10. tradidit — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Marks Leah’s decision to offer her maidservant to Jacob.

 

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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