Genesis 30:22

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:22 Recordatus quoque Dominus Rachelis, exaudivit eam, et aperuit vulvam eius.

And the LORD remembered Rachel, and He heard her, and opened her womb.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recordatus remembered NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART
2 quoque also ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Rachelis of Rachel GEN.SG.F.PROPN
5 exaudivit heard 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 eam her ACC.SG.F.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 aperuit opened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 vulvam womb ACC.SG.F
10 eius her GEN.SG.F.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Recordatus quoque Dominus Rachelis — The perfect participle Recordatus (“having remembered”) agrees with Dominus (“the LORD”) as subject, forming a periphrastic perfect construction meaning “the LORD remembered Rachel.”
Coordinated Verbs: exaudivit eam and aperuit vulvam eius — Each expresses divine action: first hearing Rachel’s prayer, then granting conception by opening her womb. The conjunction et links the clauses sequentially.

Morphology

  1. Recordatus — Lemma: recordor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent verb); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: main predicate with Dominus; Translation: “remembered”; Notes: Deponent verb conveying divine mindfulness and covenant faithfulness.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: emphasizes inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates that Rachel too, like Leah, received divine attention.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Recordatus, exaudivit, and aperuit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the covenantal God acting mercifully toward Rachel.
  4. Rachelis — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of object with Recordatus; Translation: “of Rachel”; Notes: Expresses the object of divine remembrance.
  5. exaudivit — Lemma: exaudio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “heard”; Notes: Indicates divine response to Rachel’s prayer, emphasizing compassion and favor.
  6. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun (personal); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of exaudivit; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rachel as the one heard by God.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential divine actions—hearing and granting conception.
  8. aperuit — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “opened”; Notes: Figurative expression for enabling fertility, a frequent biblical motif.
  9. vulvam — Lemma: vulva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of aperuit; Translation: “womb”; Notes: Represents Rachel’s restored fertility by divine power.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive modifying vulvam; Translation: “her”; Notes: Identifies the womb as belonging to Rachel, completing the statement of divine intervention.

 

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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