Genesis 33:8

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:8 Dixitque Esau: Quænam sunt istæ turmæ quas obviam habui? Respondit: Ut invenirem gratiam coram domino meo.

And Esau said: “What are these troops that I met?” He answered: “That I might find favor before my lord.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 Esau Esau NOM.SG.M (PROPN.INDECL)
3 Quænam what / which (emphatic) INTERROG.PRON.NOM.PL.F
4 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 istæ these NOM.PL.F (DEM.PRON)
6 turmæ troops / groups NOM.PL.F
7 quas which ACC.PL.F (REL.PRON)
8 obviam to meet / in meeting ADV (W/ DAT)
9 habui I met / I had 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Respondit he answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 Ut that / in order that SUBORD.CONJ
12 invenirem I might find 1SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
13 gratiam favor / grace ACC.SG.F
14 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
15 domino lord ABL.SG.M
16 meo my ABL.SG.M (POSS.ADJ)

Syntax

Dialogue Introduction: Dixitque Esau — “And Esau said.”
• Verb: Dixitque — main verb introducing direct speech.
• Subject: Esau — nominative subject.

Question Clause: Quænam sunt istæ turmæ quas obviam habui? — “What are these troops that I met?”
• Interrogative Pronoun: Quænam — emphatic “what (on earth) are these.”
• Predicate Noun: turmæ — nominative plural, complement of “sunt.”
• Relative Clause: quas obviam habui — “which I met.”
• Adverb: obviam — idiomatic with “habeo” meaning “to meet.”
• Verb: habui — first person perfect, “I met” or “I came upon.”

Response Clause: Ut invenirem gratiam coram domino meo — “That I might find favor before my lord.”
• Subordinate Purpose Clause: Ut + subjunctive (invenirem) expresses intent.
• Object: gratiam — “favor,” direct object of “invenirem.”
• Prepositional Phrase: coram domino meo — “before my lord,” shows respectful address to Esau.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb linking speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Introduces direct dialogue.
  2. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Speaker in the narrative dialogue.
  3. Quænam — Lemma: quis, quae, quod; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine (emphatic); Function: subject complement; Translation: “what (are these)”; Notes: -nam adds emphasis or wonder.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: linking verb; Translation: “are”; Notes: Connects question predicate.
  5. istæ — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies “turmæ”; Translation: “these”; Notes: Indicates proximity or contemptuous familiarity.
  6. turmæ — Lemma: turma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “troops / groups”; Notes: Refers to the droves of Jacob’s gifts.
  7. quas — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of “habui”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to “turmæ.”
  8. obviam — Lemma: obviam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverbial complement with “habui”; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Idiomatic with verbs of encounter.
  9. habui — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: main verb in relative clause; Translation: “I met”; Notes: Common idiom for “to encounter.”
  10. Respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb introducing response; Translation: “he answered”; Notes: Begins Jacob’s respectful answer.
  11. Ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Governs subjunctive verb.
  12. invenirem — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 1st singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I might find”; Notes: Expresses intended result of sending droves.
  13. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “invenirem”; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Common expression for goodwill or acceptance.
  14. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses presence or face-to-face relation; Translation: “before”; Notes: Often used in formal or reverent speech.
  15. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition “coram”; Translation: “lord”; Notes: Refers humbly to Esau as Jacob’s superior.
  16. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “domino”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s humility: “my lord.”

 

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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