Genesis 30:27

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:27 Ait illi Laban: Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo: experimento didici, quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te:

Laban said to him: “May I find favor in your sight; I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 illi to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
3 Laban Laban NOM.SG.M.PROPN
4 Inveniam may I find 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 gratiam favor ACC.SG.F
6 in in PREP + ABL
7 conspectu sight ABL.SG.M
8 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
9 experimento by experience ABL.SG.N
10 didici I have learned 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 quia because / that CONJ
12 benedixerit has blessed 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
14 Deus God NOM.SG.M
15 propter because of PREP + ACC
16 te you ACC.SG.2P.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Ait illi Laban — The verb Ait (“said”) introduces direct speech; illi (“to him”) is a dative indirect object referring to Jacob, while Laban serves as the nominative subject.
First Clause (Optative Subjunctive): Inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo — Expresses Laban’s wish or desire: “May I find favor in your sight.” The subjunctive Inveniam conveys politeness and humility.
Second Clause (Declarative): experimento didici quia benedixerit mihi Deus propter te — The ablative experimento (“by experience”) modifies didici (“I have learned”). The conjunction quia introduces an indirect statement dependent on didici: Deus benedixerit mihi propter te (“God has blessed me because of you”).

Morphology

  1. Ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative verb, frequently used for direct discourse.
  2. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of Ait; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the one addressed by Laban.
  3. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Ait; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Patriarch and father-in-law of Jacob.
  4. Inveniam — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: optative verb expressing wish; Translation: “may I find”; Notes: Expresses Laban’s courteous request for Jacob’s favor.
  5. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Inveniam; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Idiomatic phrase “find favor in one’s sight.”
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in / within”; Notes: Used with ablative conspectu to indicate “in someone’s presence.”
  7. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “sight / presence”; Notes: Ablative of place where.
  8. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies conspectu; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s regard or approval.
  9. experimento — Lemma: experimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by experience”; Notes: Describes the manner in which Laban learned of his prosperity.
  10. didici — Lemma: disco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of declarative clause; Translation: “I have learned”; Notes: Expresses personal realization from experience.
  11. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect statement; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Connects didici to the content of Laban’s discovery.
  12. benedixerit — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “has blessed”; Notes: Subjunctive follows quia expressing indirect statement.
  13. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of benedixerit; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Laban as the recipient of divine blessing.
  14. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of benedixerit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine source of blessing, acknowledging YHWH’s favor.
  15. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses cause or reason; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Introduces causal relation in Laban’s statement.
  16. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of propter; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, through whom Laban acknowledges divine blessing.

 

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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