Genesis 31:11

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:11 Dixitque angelus Dei ad me in somnis: Iacob? Et ego respondi: Adsum.

And the angel of God said to me in a dream: ‘Jacob?’ And I answered: ‘Here I am.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3 SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
2 angelus angel NOM.SG.M
3 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 me me ACC.SG.PRON
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 somnis dreams ABL.PL.M
8 Iacob? “Jacob?” NOM.SG.M+INTERROG
9 Et and CONJ
10 ego I NOM.SG.PRON
11 respondi I answered 1 SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 Adsum. Here I am. 1 SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque angelus Dei ad me in somnis — the angel of God speaks to Jacob in a dream.
Direct Address / Dialogue: “Iacob?” — the angel calls by name Jacob.
Response Clause: Et ego respondi: Adsum. — Jacob’s immediate reply “Here I am,” affirming his presence and obedience.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic -que; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Standard narrative marker in Vulgate Latin, with enclitic linking to what precedes.
  2. angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: “angel”; Notes: Refers to the divine messenger in the dream of Jacob.
  3. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifying angelus; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Indicates divine origin/commission of the angel.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Shows the angel’s speech is addressed to Jacob.
  5. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “me”; Notes: Jacob is the recipient of the angel’s message.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Specifies the realm of Jacob’s encounter: within a dream.
  7. somnis — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: complement of in; Translation: “dreams”; Notes: Denotes medium of divine revelation in patriarchal narrative.
  8. Iacob? — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: vocative within direct speech; Translation: “Jacob?”; Notes: Angel’s invocation of Jacob by name serves to call his attention.
  9. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects response clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links angel’s speech with Jacob’s reply.
  10. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of respondi; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun reinforcing personal response.
  11. respondi — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I answered”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s immediate verbal reply.
  12. Adsum. — Lemma: adsum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: predicate of Jacob’s reply; Translation: “Here I am.”; Notes: Expresses readiness and obedience to divine summons.

 

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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