Genesis 33:12

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:12 ait: Gradiamur simul, eroque socius itineris tui.

He said: “Let us go together, and I will be a companion of your journey.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Gradiamur let us go / let us walk 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (HORTATIVE)
3 simul together ADV
4 eroque and I will be 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
5 socius companion / partner NOM.SG.M
6 itineris of the journey GEN.SG.N
7 tui your GEN.SG (POSS.PRON)

Syntax

Speech Introduction: ait — “he said.”
• Verb: ait — introduces direct discourse, perfect indicative form used as a narrative present.

First Clause: Gradiamur simul — “let us go together.”
• Verb: Gradiamur — 1st person plural subjunctive, hortative sense, “let us go.”
• Adverb: simul — “together,” expresses companionship and unity.
• Subject (implied): “we” (speaker + listener).

Second Clause: eroque socius itineris tui — “and I will be a companion of your journey.”
• Verb: eroque — future tense + enclitic “-que” connecting to previous clause.
• Predicate Noun: socius — nominative, complement of “ero.”
• Genitive Phrase: itineris tui — “of your journey,” possessive genitive modifying “socius.”

Morphology

  1. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common narrative formula for dialogue.
  2. Gradiamur — Lemma: gradior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive, 1st plural; Function: hortative main verb; Translation: “let us go / let us walk”; Notes: Deponent form, active meaning; expresses polite proposal.
  3. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverb of manner; Translation: “together”; Notes: Indicates unity and fellowship.
  4. eroque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 1st singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “and I will be”; Notes: Enclitic joins thought with preceding hortative clause.
  5. socius — Lemma: socius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative complement of “ero”; Translation: “companion / partner”; Notes: Highlights fraternal cooperation between Esau and Jacob.
  6. itineris — Lemma: iter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the journey”; Notes: Defines the companionship’s context—travel together.
  7. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of “itineris”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates that the journey belongs to Jacob, expressing deference by 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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