Genesis 30:18

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:18 et ait: Dedit Deus mercedem mihi, quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo. appellavitque nomen eius, Issachar.

and she said: “God has given me my reward, because I gave my maidservant to my husband.” And she called his name Issachar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Dedit has given 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 mercedem reward ACC.SG.F
6 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
7 quia because CONJ
8 dedi I gave 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ancillam maidservant ACC.SG.F
10 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
11 viro to husband DAT.SG.M
12 meo my DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
13 appellavitque and she called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
14 nomen name ACC.SG.N
15 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
16 Issachar Issachar ACC.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Quotation Clause: et ait introduces Leah’s declaration.
Main Clause (inside quotation): Dedit Deus mercedem mihi — The verb Dedit (“has given”) governs mercedem (“reward”) as its direct object, with Deus as subject and mihi as indirect object.
Causal Clause: quia dedi ancillam meam viro meo — The conjunction quia introduces Leah’s rationale: her perceived faithfulness in giving her maidservant to Jacob.
Second Main Clause: appellavitque nomen eius Issachar — The perfect appellavitque connects by enclitic -que to the previous sentence; the object nomen eius (“his name”) is followed by the predicate accusative Issachar.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links this clause to the preceding verse; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects Leah’s speech to the narrative continuation.
  2. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common verb of narration, especially in quoted speech.
  3. Dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has given”; Notes: Refers to divine action acknowledging Leah’s faithfulness.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dedit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine agent rewarding Leah’s deed.
  5. mercedem — Lemma: merces; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Dedit; Translation: “reward”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to divine compensation for Leah’s earlier sacrifice.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of Dedit; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Leah as the beneficiary of divine grace.
  7. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Provides Leah’s rationale for perceiving her reward.
  8. dedi — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “I gave”; Notes: Indicates Leah’s past action of giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob.
  9. ancillam — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of dedi; Translation: “maidservant”; Notes: Refers to Zilpah, Leah’s servant, whom she gave to Jacob.
  10. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies ancillam; Translation: “my”; Notes: Adds personal possession and emotional tone to Leah’s statement.
  11. viro — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of dedi; Translation: “to (my) husband”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the recipient of Leah’s servant.
  12. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: agrees with viro; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses possessive intimacy in marital context.
  13. appellavitque — Lemma: appello + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming clause; Translation: “and she called”; Notes: Describes the act of naming, a significant moment symbolizing recognition of divine favor.
  14. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of appellavitque; Translation: “name”; Notes: Object of the naming action; often carries theological meaning.
  15. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying nomen; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s newborn son.
  16. Issachar — Lemma: Issachar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “Issachar”; Notes: The name means “he will bring reward,” reflecting Leah’s interpretation of divine justice and compensation.

 

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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