Genesis 31:38

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:38 Idcirco viginti annis fui tecum? oves tuæ et capræ steriles non fuerunt, arietes gregis tui non comedi:

For this reason have I been with you twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flock I did not eat;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Idcirco for this reason ADVERB
2 viginti twenty NUMERAL INDECLINABLE
3 annis years NOUN ABL.PL.M
4 fui I have been VERB 1SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
5 tecum with you PREPOSITION (CUM) + PRONOUN ABL.SG.2
6 oves ewes NOUN NOM.PL.F
7 tuæ your POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE NOM.PL.F
8 et and CONJUNCTION
9 capræ she-goats NOUN NOM.PL.F
10 steriles barren ADJECTIVE NOM.PL.F
11 non not ADVERB NEGATIVE
12 fuerunt were VERB 3PL PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
13 arietes rams NOUN ACC.PL.M
14 gregis of the flock NOUN GEN.SG.M
15 tui your POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE GEN.SG.M
16 non not ADVERB NEGATIVE
17 comedi I ate VERB 1SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE

Syntax

Rhetorical Question: Idcirco viginti annis fui tecum? — the adverb Idcirco (“for this reason”) introduces a rhetorical protest; fui is perfect indicative (“I have been”), with viginti annis as ablative of duration of time and tecum (ablative with “cum”) expressing association.
Second Clause: oves tuæ et capræ steriles non fuerunt — independent declarative clause, with oves and capræ as coordinated subjects, steriles predicate adjective, and non fuerunt the negated perfect verb “were not barren.”
Third Clause: arietes gregis tui non comedi — arietes (accusative object) + genitival phrase gregis tui (“of your flock”), with non comedi (“I did not eat”) as the main verb.
Syntax Summary: The verse consists of three linked statements forming a self-defensive argument by Jacob, emphasizing his integrity: long service, faithful stewardship, and abstinence from his master’s property.

Morphology

  1. Idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “for this reason”; Notes: Used for emphasis or indignation; here Jacob’s tone is reproachful.
  2. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier modifying “annis”; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: Classical Latin numerals above ten are indeclinable.
  3. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of duration of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Temporal ablative with perfect “fui.”
  4. fui — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the question; Translation: “I have been”; Notes: Expresses completed duration in the past.
  5. tecum — Lemma: cum + tu; Part of Speech: preposition + pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: complements “fui” expressing association; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Enclitic construction where “cum” follows the pronoun.
  6. oves — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “fuerunt”; Translation: “ewes”; Notes: Regular third-declension form, collective livestock term.
  7. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: agrees with “oves”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Laban’s ownership.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins “oves” and “capræ”; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination of subjects.
  9. capræ — Lemma: capra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: second subject of “fuerunt”; Translation: “she-goats”; Notes: First declension, parallel with “oves.”
  10. steriles — Lemma: sterilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “barren”; Notes: Predicate complement of “fuerunt,” negated by “non.”
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the predicate “fuerunt”; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard negator in declarative clauses.
  12. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: copula in predicate clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: Perfect tense used for completed state in past narrative.
  13. arietes — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “comedi”; Translation: “rams”; Notes: Symbolic of valuable livestock withheld for Laban’s benefit.
  14. gregis — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying “arietes”; Translation: “of the flock”; Notes: Expresses ownership or association.
  15. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: agrees with “gregis”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Denotes possession by Laban.
  16. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates the following verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Repeated for emphatic denial of wrongdoing.
  17. comedi — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “I ate”; Notes: Perfect tense stresses completed restraint—Jacob did not consume Laban’s rams.

 

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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