Genesis 32:19

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:19 Similiter dedit mandata secundo, et tertio, et cunctis qui sequebantur greges, dicens: Iisdem verbis loquimini ad Esau, cum inveneritis eum.

Likewise he gave commands to the second, and to the third, and to all who followed the herds, saying: “With the same words speak to Esau when you find him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Similiter likewise ADV
2 dedit he gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 mandata commands ACC.PL.N
4 secundo to the second (one) DAT.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 tertiò to the third (one) DAT.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 cunctis to all DAT.PL.M
9 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.PL.M
10 sequebantur were following 3PL.IMP.DEP.IND
11 greges herds ACC.PL.M
12 dicens saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
13 Iisdem with the same ABL.PL.N
14 verbis words ABL.PL.N
15 loquimini speak 2PL.PRES.DEP.IMP
16 ad to, toward PREP+ACC
17 Esau Esau ACC.SG.M (PROPN.INDECL)
18 cum when SUBORD.CONJ
19 inveneritis you find 2PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
20 eum him ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Similiter dedit mandata secundo, et tertio, et cunctis qui sequebantur greges — perfect active indicative main clause, expressing Jacob’s repeated instructions.
Indirect Command Clause: dicens: Iisdem verbis loquimini ad Esau, cum inveneritis eum — participle dicens introduces direct speech of command.
Subject: implied Iacob (he).
Objects: mandata (direct object of dedit).
Recipients: secundo, tertio, cunctis (dative indirect objects).
Relative Clause: qui sequebantur greges — modifies cunctis, “those who were following the herds.”
Imperative Clause: Iisdem verbis loquimini ad Esau — command to the servants, “Speak with the same words to Esau.”
Temporal Clause: cum inveneritis eum — future perfect indicating anticipated condition, “when you find him.”

Morphology

  1. Similiter — Lemma: similiter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies “dedit”; Translation: “likewise”; Notes: Expresses repetition of action.
  2. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he gave”; Notes: Marks completed action in the narrative sequence.
  3. mandata — Lemma: mandatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of “dedit”; Translation: “commands”; Notes: Derived from mando, meaning an instruction or charge.
  4. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the second”; Notes: Refers to the second servant or messenger.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects items in a list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Common additive conjunction.
  6. tertiò — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “dedit”; Translation: “to the third”; Notes: Parallel to “secundo.”
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the coordination.
  8. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object of “dedit”; Translation: “to all”; Notes: Indicates collective group.
  9. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “sequebantur”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to “cunctis.”
  10. sequebantur — Lemma: sequor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect indicative, 3rd plural; Function: predicate of relative clause; Translation: “were following”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning.
  11. greges — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of “sequebantur”; Translation: “herds”; Notes: Accusative of direct object for deponent verb.
  12. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial modifier; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Refers to the same subject as “dedit.”
  13. Iisdem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with the same”; Notes: Denotes sameness in form or content.
  14. verbis — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of prepositionless ablative phrase “Iisdem verbis”; Translation: “words”; Notes: Means or instrument of speech.
  15. loquimini — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present imperative, 2nd plural; Function: main verb of the command; Translation: “speak”; Notes: Deponent form, active meaning.
  16. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces recipient of speech.
  17. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Treated as indeclinable Semitic name.
  18. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs future perfect indicative verb.
  19. inveneritis — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, 2nd plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “you find”; Notes: Used for future time reference dependent on main clause.
  20. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “inveneritis”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Esau.

 

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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