Genesis 32:10

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:10 minor sum cunctis miserationibus tuis, et veritate tua quam explevisti servo tuo. In baculo meo transivi Iordanem istum: et nunc cum duabus turmis regredior.

I am less than all your mercies and your truth which you have fulfilled for your servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I return with two companies.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 minor less NOM.SG.M.COMP.ADJ
2 sum I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 cunctis all ABL.PL.F
4 miserationibus mercies ABL.PL.F
5 tuis your ABL.PL.F
6 et and CONJ
7 veritate truth ABL.SG.F
8 tua your ABL.SG.F
9 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL
10 explevisti you have fulfilled 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 servo servant DAT.SG.M
12 tuo your DAT.SG.M
13 In with PREP+ABL
14 baculo staff ABL.SG.M
15 meo my ABL.SG.M
16 transivi I crossed 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 Iordanem Jordan ACC.SG.M
18 istum this ACC.SG.M.DEM
19 et and CONJ
20 nunc now ADV
21 cum with PREP+ABL
22 duabus two ABL.PL.F
23 turmis companies ABL.PL.F
24 regredior I return 1SG.PRES.DEP.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: minor sum cunctis miserationibus tuis, et veritate tua — subject implied in sum (“I”), with predicate adjective minor; ablatives cunctis miserationibus tuis and veritate tua express comparison (“less than all your mercies and your truth”).
Relative Clause: quam explevisti servo tuo — introduced by quam, referring to veritate tua; verb explevisti governs dative servo tuo (“to your servant”).
Main Clause 2: In baculo meo transivi Iordanem istum — prepositional phrase in baculo meo (“with my staff”) modifies transivi (“I crossed”); direct object Iordanem istum.
Clause of Result: et nunc cum duabus turmis regredior — adverb nunc signals present circumstance; verb regredior introduces deponent form; ablative phrase cum duabus turmis indicates accompaniment.

Morphology

  1. minor — Lemma: parvus; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with sum; Translation: “less”; Notes: Expresses humility by comparison to divine mercy.
  2. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Connects Jacob’s state with predicate adjective minor.
  3. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies miserationibus; Translation: “all”; Notes: Universal quantifier enhancing totality of divine mercies.
  4. miserationibus — Lemma: miseratio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of comparison with minor; Translation: “mercies”; Notes: Refers to God’s acts of compassion.
  5. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies miserationibus; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates the divine source of mercy.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the parallel ablatives of comparison.
  7. veritate — Lemma: veritas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of comparison; Translation: “truth”; Notes: Represents God’s faithfulness in covenant.
  8. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies veritate; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes divine ownership of truth.
  9. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of explevisti; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to veritate tua.
  10. explevisti — Lemma: expleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “you have fulfilled”; Notes: Denotes completed divine action of faithfulness.
  11. servo — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of explevisti; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as God’s loyal servant.
  12. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies servo; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates belonging to God’s service.
  13. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses instrument or accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Marks the means of travel.
  14. baculo — Lemma: baculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “staff”; Notes: Symbolizes humble beginnings.
  15. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies baculo; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses personal possession of the staff.
  16. transivi — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “I crossed”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s earlier crossing of the Jordan.
  17. Iordanem — Lemma: Iordanes; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of transivi; Translation: “Jordan”; Notes: Refers to the river Jordan.
  18. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Iordanem; Translation: “this”; Notes: Demonstrative for vivid immediacy.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects past and present experiences.
  20. nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Contrasts past humility with present prosperity.
  21. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces phrase denoting company.
  22. duabus — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies turmis; Translation: “two”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s increased possessions.
  23. turmis — Lemma: turma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “companies”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s divided household and flocks.
  24. regredior — Lemma: regredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 1st person singular present indicative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “I return”; Notes: Deponent form expressing humble motion back to homeland.

 

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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