Genesis 33:11

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:11 et suscipe benedictionem quam attuli tibi, et quam donavit mihi Deus tribuens omnia. Vix fratre compellente, suscipiens,

and receive the blessing that I have brought to you, and which God has granted to me, giving all things.” With difficulty, being urged by his brother, he received it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 suscipe receive 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
3 benedictionem blessing ACC.SG.F
4 quam which ACC.SG.F (REL.PRON)
5 attuli I have brought 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 tibi to you DAT.SG (PERS.PRON)
7 et and CONJ
8 quam which ACC.SG.F (REL.PRON)
9 donavit has granted / has given 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 mihi to me DAT.SG (PERS.PRON)
11 Deus God NOM.SG.M
12 tribuens granting / giving PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
13 omnia all things ACC.PL.N
14 Vix with difficulty / scarcely ADV
15 fratre by his brother ABL.SG.M
16 compellente urging / pressing PRES.ACT.PTCP.ABL.SG.M
17 suscipiens receiving PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Command: et suscipe benedictionem — “and receive the blessing.”
• Verb: suscipe — imperative form, direct request.
• Object: benedictionem — “blessing,” object of the command.
• Conjunction: et — links to previous clause.

Relative Clause 1: quam attuli tibi — “which I have brought to you.”
• Verb: attuli — perfect tense, “I have brought.”
• Indirect Object: tibi — “to you.”
• Antecedent: benedictionem — modified by “quam.”

Relative Clause 2: et quam donavit mihi Deus tribuens omnia — “and which God has given to me, granting all things.”
• Subject: Deus — “God.”
• Verb: donavit — perfect, “has granted.”
• Participle Phrase: tribuens omnia — explanatory participle, “granting all things,” describing divine abundance.

Final Clause: Vix fratre compellente, suscipiens — “with difficulty, being urged by his brother, he received it.”
• Adverb: Vix — indicates hesitation or reluctance.
• Ablative Absolute: fratre compellente — “as his brother urged.”
• Participle: suscipiens — nominative masculine singular, “receiving,” agrees with Esau implied.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinating; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects Jacob’s continued entreaty.
  2. suscipe — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: “receive”; Notes: Courteous request emphasizing Jacob’s humility.
  3. benedictionem — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “blessing”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to Jacob’s gifts, understood as a blessing.
  4. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the “blessing” offered.
  5. attuli — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I have brought”; Notes: Perfective aspect indicates completed gesture.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks Esau as recipient.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects coordinate relative clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine clause to previous statement.
  8. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “donavit”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers again to “benedictionem.”
  9. donavit — Lemma: dono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has granted / has given”; Notes: Emphasizes divine generosity.
  10. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks Jacob as recipient of God’s favor.
  11. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, giver of all blessings.
  12. tribuens — Lemma: tribuo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “granting / giving”; Notes: Expresses continual divine generosity.
  13. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of “tribuens”; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Universal scope—God’s plenitude.
  14. Vix — Lemma: vix; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies the participle; Translation: “with difficulty”; Notes: Suggests Esau’s initial reluctance to accept the gift.
  15. fratre — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: subject of ablative absolute; Translation: “by his brother”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the one urging.
  16. compellente — Lemma: compello; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, ablative singular masculine; Function: in ablative absolute; Translation: “urging”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s persistence.
  17. suscipiens — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: main participle agreeing with Esau; Translation: “receiving”; Notes: Denotes final acceptance—Esau’s consent to reconciliation.

 

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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