Genesis 31:7

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gm 31:7 Sed et pater vester circumvenit me, et mutavit mercedem meam decem vicibus: et tamen non dimisit eum Deus ut noceret mihi.

But your father also deceived me and changed my wages ten times; yet God did not allow him to harm me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 et also CONJ.ADV
3 pater father NOM.SG.M
4 vester your NOM.SG.M.PRON
5 circumvenit deceived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 me me ACC.SG.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 mutavit changed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 mercedem wages ACC.SG.F
10 meam my ACC.SG.F.PRON
11 decem ten NUM.CARD
12 vicibus times ABL.PL.F
13 et and CONJ
14 tamen yet ADV
15 non not ADV
16 dimisit allowed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
18 Deus God NOM.SG.M
19 ut that CONJ.PURP
20 noceret might harm 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
21 mihi me DAT.SG.PRON

Syntax

Main Clauses: Sed et pater vester circumvenit me and et mutavit mercedem meam decem vicibus — two coordinated perfect tense clauses expressing repeated deceit and alteration of Jacob’s wages.
Contrast Clause: et tamen non dimisit eum Deus ut noceret mihi — introduces divine intervention preventing harm; ut + subjunctive expresses purpose or result.
Subject: pater vester and Deus each act as the subject of respective clauses.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Signals a shift from affirmation to contrastive statement.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifier meaning “also”; Translation: “also”; Notes: Emphasizes continuation of previous thought.
  3. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Laban, the father-in-law of Jacob.
  4. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of pater; Translation: “your”; Notes: Plural possessive referring to Rachel and Leah.
  5. circumvenit — Lemma: circumvenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he deceived”; Notes: Literally “encircled,” idiomatic for deceit or trickery.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of circumvenit; Translation: “me”; Notes: Jacob as the deceived party.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects verbs circumvenit and mutavit; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connective for sequential actions.
  8. mutavit — Lemma: muto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he changed”; Notes: Refers to Laban’s alteration of agreed wages repeatedly.
  9. mercedem — Lemma: merces; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of mutavit; Translation: “wages”; Notes: Represents Jacob’s compensation for labor.
  10. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier of mercedem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates personal ownership of the altered reward.
  11. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Indicates frequency of deceit, symbolic of completeness in Hebrew idiom.
  12. vicibus — Lemma: vicis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of number; Translation: “times”; Notes: Expresses repetition or occasion, here referring to altered agreements.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links previous complaint with divine protection clause.
  14. tamen — Lemma: tamen; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative marker; Translation: “yet”; Notes: Emphasizes divine protection despite deceit.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb dimisit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Reinforces divine restraint.
  16. dimisit — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “allowed”; Notes: Often used for permission or release.
  17. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dimisit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Laban, the restrained agent.
  18. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dimisit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine subject safeguarding Jacob from harm.
  19. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Connects divine restraint to intended outcome.
  20. noceret — Lemma: noceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “might harm”; Notes: Dependent on ut to express possible injury.
  21. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of noceret; Translation: “me”; Notes: Marks Jacob as the potential target of harm prevented by divine will.

 

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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