Genesis 32:25

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:25 Qui cum videret quod eum superare non posset, tetigit nervum femoris eius, et statim emarcuit.

He who, when he saw that he could not overcome him, touched the sinew of his thigh, and immediately it withered.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
2 cum when SUBORD.CONJ
3 videret he saw 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
4 quod that CONJ
5 eum him ACC.SG.M
6 superare to overcome PRES.ACT.INF
7 non not ADV
8 posset he could 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
9 tetigit he touched 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 nervum the sinew ACC.SG.M
11 femoris of the thigh GEN.SG.N
12 eius his GEN.SG.M (PRON)
13 et and CONJ
14 statim immediately ADV
15 emarcuit it withered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui cum videret quod eum superare non posset — subordinate clause explaining the cause of the subsequent action.
• Subject: Qui — refers to vir (the man) from the previous verse.
• Subordinate Clause: cum videret — “when he saw,” with subjunctive to denote temporal/circumstantial sense.
• Object Clause: quod eum superare non posset — dependent on videret, expressing what he saw (“that he could not overcome him”).
• Verb: posset — imperfect subjunctive for contemporaneous action.
• Main Clause: tetigit nervum femoris eius — perfect indicative, “he touched the sinew of his thigh.”
• Result Clause (as narrative continuation): et statim emarcuit — “and immediately it withered.”
• Word order: Chiastic and causal: realization → action → result.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “videret” and “tetigit”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to the man wrestling with Jacob.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Followed by subjunctive verb in circumstantial sense.
  3. videret — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “he saw”; Notes: Subjunctive for dependent temporal nuance after “cum.”
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Governs “eum superare non posset.”
  5. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “superare”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the opponent.
  6. superare — Lemma: supero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive in indirect statement; Translation: “to overcome”; Notes: Complement of “posset.”
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates “posset”; Translation: “not”; Notes: Simple negation.
  8. posset — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of indirect statement; Translation: “he could”; Notes: Subjunctive in dependent clause after “videret.”
  9. tetigit — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of principal clause; Translation: “he touched”; Notes: Denotes completed action.
  10. nervum — Lemma: nervus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “tetigit”; Translation: “sinew”; Notes: Anatomical reference to the tendon of the thigh.
  11. femoris — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the thigh”; Notes: Indicates part to which the sinew belongs.
  12. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “femoris”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential conjunction.
  14. statim — Lemma: statim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies “emarcuit”; Translation: “immediately”; Notes: Temporal adverb emphasizing suddenness.
  15. emarcuit — Lemma: emarcesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: verb of result; Translation: “it withered”; Notes: Describes immediate physical effect of divine touch.

 

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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