Genesis 31:26

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:26 Et dixit ad Iacob: Quare ita egisti, ut clam me abigeres filias meas quasi captivas gladio?

And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted in this way, that you have secretly driven away my daughters as captives with the sword?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Iacob Jacob ACC.SG.M.PROP
5 Quare why ADV.INT
6 ita thus ADV
7 egisti have you done 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ut that CONJ
9 clam secretly ADV
10 me from me ABL.SG.1P.PRON
11 abigeres you drove away 2SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
12 filias daughters ACC.PL.F
13 meas my ACC.PL.F.POSS.ADJ
14 quasi as if CONJ.COMP
15 captivas captives ACC.PL.F
16 gladio with sword ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Et dixit ad Iacob — introduces Laban as the speaker addressing Jacob directly.
Interrogative Clause: Quare ita egisti — expresses reproach through a direct question using quare (“why”).
Subordinate Clause: ut clam me abigeres filias meas quasi captivas gladio — a purpose or result clause introduced by ut, explaining the perceived wrongdoing.
Overall Syntax: The verse contrasts divine restraint in the previous verses with Laban’s human indignation, structured as accusation and rhetorical lament.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects to prior discourse; Translation: “and”; Notes: Smoothly links Laban’s response to the preceding narrative of confrontation.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks the introduction of direct speech; the perfect indicates completed action initiating dialogue.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Establishes the direction of speech toward Jacob.
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The addressee of Laban’s accusation; retains Hebrew nominative form in Latin.
  5. Quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces question of motive; Translation: “why”; Notes: Combines qua re (“by what thing”) to express “for what reason.”
  6. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies egisti; Translation: “thus” or “in this way”; Notes: Reinforces the accusatory tone by emphasizing Laban’s perception of betrayal.
  7. egisti — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of the question; Translation: “you have done”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed and now-questioned past action.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces subordinate clause of result/purpose; Translation: “that”; Notes: Commonly used after verbs expressing emotion, accusation, or result.
  9. clam — Lemma: clam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies abigeres; Translation: “secretly”; Notes: Indicates concealment, a key grievance of Laban’s speech.
  10. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of clam in ablative separation; Translation: “from me”; Notes: Expresses personal offense and emotional tone of accusation.
  11. abigeres — Lemma: abigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: verb of the subordinate clause introduced by ut; Translation: “you drove away”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses purpose or perceived result of Jacob’s action.
  12. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of abigeres; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Refers to Rachel and Leah; underscores family division.
  13. meas — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies filias; Translation: “my”; Notes: Intensifies the personal nature of the grievance.
  14. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as if”; Notes: Creates rhetorical contrast between familial ties and perceived hostility.
  15. captivas — Lemma: captivus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “captives”; Notes: Metaphor for loss of authority; highlights emotional exaggeration.
  16. gladio — Lemma: gladius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means or instrument; Translation: “with the sword”; Notes: Symbolic of violence; used hyperbolically to depict Jacob’s stealth as aggression.

 

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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