Genesis 31:5

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:5 dixitque eis: Video faciem patris vestri quod non sit erga me sicut heri, et nudiustertius: Deus autem patris mei fuit mecum.

and he said to them: “I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before yesterday; but the God of my father has been with me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 eis to them DAT.PL.M.PRON
3 Video I see 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 faciem face ACC.SG.F
5 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
6 vestri your GEN.SG.M.PRON
7 quod that CONJ
8 non not ADV
9 sit is 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 erga toward PREP+ACC
11 me me ACC.SG.PRON
12 sicut as CONJ.COMP
13 heri yesterday ADV
14 et and CONJ
15 nudiustertius the day before yesterday ADV
16 Deus God NOM.SG.M
17 autem but CONJ.ADV
18 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
19 mei my GEN.SG.M.PRON
20 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 mecum with me PREP+ABL.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: dixitque eis — narrative connector introducing Jacob’s speech, combining verb and enclitic -que.
Direct Speech: Video faciem patris vestri quod non sit erga me sicut heri et nudiustertius — statement of observation followed by a subordinate clause (quod + subjunctive).
Contrast Clause: Deus autem patris mei fuit mecum — adversative statement showing divine constancy amid human hostility.

Morphology

  1. dixitque — Lemma: dico + -que; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Enclitic -que connects with preceding sentence; frequent in narrative transitions.
  2. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to Rachel and Leah, his wives addressed directly.
  3. Video — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb of direct discourse; Translation: “I see”; Notes: Denotes perceptive awareness, not merely visual observation.
  4. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “face”; Notes: Figuratively means “attitude” or “disposition.”
  5. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Refers to Laban, Jacob’s father-in-law.
  6. vestri — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive pronoun modifying patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Plural address to both wives, expressing shared paternity.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Requires subjunctive in indirect statement.
  8. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates sit.
  9. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses indirect perception rather than assertion.
  10. erga — Lemma: erga; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates attitude or relation; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Common for emotional or behavioral orientation.
  11. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of erga; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the one toward whom Laban’s attitude changed.
  12. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as”; Notes: Establishes comparison to past relationship.
  13. heri — Lemma: heri; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of time; Translation: “yesterday”; Notes: Combined with nudiustertius forms idiom for “recently.”
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects temporal adverbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination.
  15. nudiustertius — Lemma: nudiustertius; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of time; Translation: “the day before yesterday”; Notes: Literally “now it is the third day.”
  16. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fuit; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the divine protector of Jacob’s lineage.
  17. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks a theological contrast with human hostility.
  18. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, Jacob’s father.
  19. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive pronoun modifying patris; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses filial and covenantal continuity.
  20. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Perfect tense shows enduring divine presence up to the present moment.
  21. mecum — Lemma: cum + ego; Part of Speech: preposition + pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: adverbial complement; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Preposition enclitic with pronoun, emphasizing divine companionship.

 

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.