Genesis 30:29

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:29 At ille respondit: Tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi, et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua.

But he replied: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession has been in my hands.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.PRON
3 respondit replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Tu you NOM.SG.2P.PRON
5 nosti know 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 quomodo how ADV.CONJ
7 servierim I have served 1SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
8 tibi you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 quanta how great NOM.SG.F.INTENS.ADJ
11 in in PREP + ABL
12 manibus hands ABL.PL.F
13 meis my ABL.PL.F.POSS.ADJ
14 fuerit has been 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
15 possessio possession NOM.SG.F
16 tua your NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: At ille respondit — The conjunction At introduces contrast, while ille serves as the nominative subject and respondit as the perfect indicative verb of reply.
First Subordinate Clause: Tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi — The verb nosti (“you know”) governs the indirect question introduced by quomodo (“how”), with servierim as the subjunctive verb within that clause.
Second Subordinate Clause: et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua — Another indirect question joined by et (“and”), with fuerit as the subjunctive verb. The phrase in manibus meis is an ablative of location (“in my hands”), referring to Jacob’s stewardship of Laban’s possessions.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Commonly used to mark a shift in narrative tone or response.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, responding to Laban.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the narrative; Translation: “replied”; Notes: Marks Jacob’s answer to Laban’s proposal.
  4. Tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of nosti; Translation: “you”; Notes: Directly addresses Laban.
  5. nosti — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb of the first indirect question; Translation: “know”; Notes: Perfect tense used with present meaning, “you are aware.”
  6. quomodo — Lemma: quomodo; Part of Speech: adverbial conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “how”; Notes: Common with verbs of knowing or perceiving.
  7. servierim — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: main verb of indirect question; Translation: “I have served”; Notes: Subjunctive marks the indirect question’s dependency on nosti.
  8. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of servierim; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Laban as the one served.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links parallel clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two dependent clauses of nosti.
  10. quanta — Lemma: quantus; Part of Speech: adjective (interrogative/relative); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate complement in indirect question; Translation: “how great”; Notes: Expresses measure of Laban’s wealth.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used with manibus meis to express possession or responsibility.
  12. manibus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “hands”; Notes: Metaphorical for Jacob’s care and oversight.
  13. meis — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies manibus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s possession and personal labor.
  14. fuerit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: main verb of second indirect question; Translation: “has been”; Notes: Subjunctive within indirect speech introduced by nosti.
  15. possessio — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of fuerit; Translation: “possession”; Notes: Refers to Laban’s livestock and goods entrusted to Jacob.
  16. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies possessio; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes that the wealth under Jacob’s management belonged to Laban.

 

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.