Genesis 31:23

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:23 Qui, assumptis fratribus suis, persecutus est eum diebus septem: et comprehendit eum in Monte Galaad.

He who, having taken his brothers with him, pursued him for seven days, and overtook him on Mount Galaad.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
2 assumptis having taken ABL.PL.PERF.PTCP.PASS
3 fratribus brothers ABL.PL.M
4 suis his ABL.PL.M.PRON
5 persecutus pursued NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP.DEP
6 est has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 eum him ACC.SG.M
8 diebus for days ABL.PL.M
9 septem seven NUM.INDECL
10 et and CONJ
11 comprehendit overtook 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 eum him ACC.SG.M
13 in on PREP+ABL
14 Monte mountain ABL.SG.M
15 Galaad Gilead ABL.SG.M.PROP

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui assumptis fratribus suis — introduces Laban as the subject, modifying the previous sentence, with an ablative absolute describing his preparation.
Main Clause: persecutus est eum diebus septem — expresses the primary action, a sustained pursuit over a set duration.
Coordinated Clause: et comprehendit eum in Monte Galaad — adds the climactic event of overtaking Jacob at Mount Gilead, completing the chase sequence.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Laban, linking this verse with the previous one narratively.
  2. assumptis — Lemma: assumo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural perfect passive; Function: part of ablative absolute with fratribus; Translation: “having taken”; Notes: Indicates a completed action prior to pursuit, marking preparation.
  3. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers likely to kinsmen or allies, not literal siblings, following Semitic usage.
  4. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Highlights Laban’s leadership over his kin group.
  5. persecutus — Lemma: persequor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect; Function: predicate of main clause; Translation: “pursued”; Notes: Deponent form gives active meaning despite passive morphology.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active, 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary completing deponent perfect; Translation: “has”; Notes: Standard auxiliary construction with deponent participles in perfect tense.
  7. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of persecutus est; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the pursued party.
  8. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time duration; Translation: “for days”; Notes: Denotes the length of pursuit, expressing effort and persistence.
  9. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies diebus; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Symbolically evokes completeness or fullness in biblical numerology.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the subsequent clause describing the result of the pursuit.
  11. comprehendit — Lemma: comprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of coordinate clause; Translation: “overtook”; Notes: Marks successful completion of pursuit and beginning of confrontation scene.
  12. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of comprehendit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Repetition strengthens narrative focus on Jacob as the object of pursuit.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “on”; Notes: Introduces geographical setting of encounter.
  14. Monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Indicates the physical site of capture, consistent with prior references.
  15. Galaad — Lemma: Galaad; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: in apposition with Monte; Translation: “Galaad”; Notes: Specifies the region east of the Jordan, site of covenant confrontation.

 

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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