Genesis 31:16

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:16 Sed Deus tulit opes patris nostri, et eas tradidit nobis, ac filiis nostris: unde omnia quæ præcepit tibi Deus, fac.

But God has taken the riches of our father and has given them to us and to our sons; therefore, do all that God has commanded you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ.ADV
2 Deus God NOM.SG.M
3 tulit has taken 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 opes riches ACC.PL.F
5 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
6 nostri our GEN.SG.M.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 eas them ACC.PL.F.PRON
9 tradidit has given 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 nobis to us DAT.PL.PRON
11 ac and also CONJ
12 filiis to (the) sons DAT.PL.M
13 nostris our DAT.PL.M.PRON
14 unde therefore ADV.CONSEQ
15 omnia all ACC.PL.N
16 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL.PRON
17 præcepit has commanded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 tibi to you DAT.SG.PRON
19 Deus God NOM.SG.M
20 fac do 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP

Syntax

Main Clause: Sed Deus tulit opes patris nostri, et eas tradidit nobis ac filiis nostris — contrasts divine justice with human exploitation. God’s taking and giving verbs emphasize rightful transfer of wealth.
Concluding Clause: unde omnia quæ præcepit tibi Deus, fac — an inferential command urging obedience to divine revelation, “Therefore, do all that God has commanded you.”

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Sets divine action against Laban’s injustice.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of tulit and tradidit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The agent of justice and covenant faithfulness.
  3. tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has taken”; Notes: Expresses completed divine act of retribution.
  4. opes — Lemma: ops; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of tulit; Translation: “riches”; Notes: Refers to Laban’s material possessions or wealth.
  5. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Refers to Laban, source of unjust wealth.
  6. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “our”; Notes: Identifies shared lineage yet moral distance.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links two divine actions.
  8. eas — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of tradidit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the “riches” previously taken.
  9. tradidit — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has given”; Notes: Conveys divine bestowal upon Jacob’s family.
  10. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Indicates beneficiaries of divine justice.
  11. ac — Lemma: ac (atque); Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphatically; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Highlights inclusion of descendants in blessing.
  12. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (the) sons”; Notes: Extends inheritance beyond immediate generation.
  13. nostris — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies filiis; Translation: “our”; Notes: Reinforces familial continuity of divine provision.
  14. unde — Lemma: unde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces consequence; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Concludes logical inference of divine justice → obedience.
  15. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of fac; Translation: “all (things)”; Notes: Total scope of divine command.
  16. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to all divine instructions.
  17. præcepit — Lemma: praecipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “has commanded”; Notes: Expresses authoritative divine directive.
  18. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as recipient of command.
  19. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præcepit; Translation: “God”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, framing obedience as response to divine will.
  20. fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative active, 2nd person singular; Function: main command; Translation: “do”; Notes: Final imperative summarizing the moral conclusion: act upon divine instruction.

 

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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