Genesis 31:13

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:13 Ego sum Deus Bethel, ubi unxisti lapidem, et votum vovisti mihi. Nunc ergo surge, et egredere de terra hac, revertens in terram nativitatis tuæ.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out from this land, returning to the land of your birth.’”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ego I NOM.SG.PRON
2 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 Bethel of Bethel GEN.SG.INDECL
5 ubi where ADV.REL
6 unxisti you anointed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 lapidem stone ACC.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 votum vow ACC.SG.N
10 vovisti you vowed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
12 Nunc now ADV.TEMP
13 ergo therefore ADV.CONSEQ
14 surge arise 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
15 et and CONJ
16 egredere go out 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP
17 de from PREP+ABL
18 terra land ABL.SG.F
19 hac this ABL.SG.F.DEM
20 revertens returning NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
21 in to PREP+ACC
22 terram land ACC.SG.F
23 nativitatis of birth GEN.SG.F
24 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Ego sum Deus Bethel — divine self-identification; subject and predicate nominative affirm YHWH’s covenant identity.
Relative Clause: ubi unxisti lapidem, et votum vovisti mihi — recalls Jacob’s earlier consecration at Bethel (Genesis 28).
Imperative Clauses: Nunc ergo surge, et egredere de terra hac, revertens in terram nativitatis tuæ — direct divine commands with participial supplement, emphasizing motion and return.

Morphology

  1. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expresses divine first-person authority.
  2. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, 1st person singular; Function: copula linking Ego and Deus; Translation: “am”; Notes: Introduces self-revelation formula common in divine speech.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “God”; Notes: Subject complement affirming divine identity.
  4. Bethel — Lemma: Bethel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable (used genitively); Function: locative genitive; Translation: “of Bethel”; Notes: Site of Jacob’s vision and consecration.
  5. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: relative adverb; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “where”; Notes: Connects to memory of sacred event.
  6. unxisti — Lemma: ungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “you anointed”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s consecration of the stone as pillar.
  7. lapidem — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of unxisti; Translation: “stone”; Notes: Symbolic memorial of covenant encounter.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links parallel verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Unites twin ritual acts: anointing and vowing.
  9. votum — Lemma: votum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of vovisti; Translation: “vow”; Notes: Legal-religious term for promise to deity.
  10. vovisti — Lemma: voveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: predicate verb; Translation: “you vowed”; Notes: Completes sacred action remembered by YHWH.
  11. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks personal recipient of vow (God).
  12. Nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “now”; Notes: Signals present moment for action.
  13. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Introduces logical consequence of divine recollection.
  14. surge — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative active, 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “arise”; Notes: Common command formula initiating movement.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects sequential divine commands.
  16. egredere — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: imperative verb; Translation: “go out”; Notes: Deponent form expresses command to depart actively.
  17. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates motion from; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used with terra hac to specify source of departure.
  18. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to Mesopotamian region where Jacob sojourned.
  19. hac — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun/adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies current location.
  20. revertens — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, present active (deponent); Function: participial supplement; Translation: “returning”; Notes: Expresses attendant circumstance with motion verbs.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks goal of motion.
  22. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Repetition reinforces geographic promise.
  23. nativitatis — Lemma: nativitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: “of birth”; Notes: Specifies ancestral homeland.
  24. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies nativitatis; Translation: “your”; Notes: Marks personal belonging and covenant inheritance.

 

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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