Genesis 34:2

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:2 Quam cum vidisset Sichem filius Hemor Hevæi, princeps terræ illius, adamavit eam: et rapuit, et dormivit cum illa, vi opprimens virginem.

When Sichem, the son of Hemor the Hevite, the chief of that land, saw her, he loved her, and took her, and lay with her, forcing the virgin by violence.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quam whom ACC.SG.F (REL.PRON)
2 cum when CONJ (TEMPORAL)
3 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 Sichem Shechem NOM.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
5 filius son NOM.SG.M
6 Hemor Hamor GEN.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
7 Hevæi the Hivite GEN.SG.M (ETHNIC ADJ.)
8 princeps chief NOM.SG.M
9 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F
10 illius that GEN.SG.F (DEMONS.PRON)
11 adamavit he loved 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 eam her ACC.SG.F (PRON)
13 et and CONJ
14 rapuit he took / seized 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 et and CONJ
16 dormivit he lay 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 cum with PREP+ABL
18 illa her ABL.SG.F (PRON)
19 vi by force ABL.SG.F (ABL.MEANS)
20 opprimens oppressing PRES.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
21 virginem the virgin ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Quam cum vidisset Sichem filius Hemor Hevæi, princeps terræ illius — “When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the chief of that land, saw her.”
• Conjunction: cum — introduces temporal clause.
• Verb: vidisset — pluperfect subjunctive, denoting prior action.
• Subject: Sichem — nominative proper noun.
• Apposition: filius Hemor Hevæi, princeps terræ illius — further identifies Shechem by descent and title.

Main Clause: adamavit eam: et rapuit, et dormivit cum illa — “he loved her, and took her, and lay with her.”
• Series of verbs: Perfect tense narrative triad describing escalating actions.
• Object: eam — direct object referring to Dina.
• Prepositional Phrase: cum illa — expresses accompaniment in the act.

Participial Phrase: vi opprimens virginem — “forcing the virgin by violence.”
• Ablative of Means: vi — indicates manner of action.
• Participle: opprimens — concurrent present participle emphasizing violent means.
• Object: virginem — direct object of the participle.

Morphology

  1. Quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “vidisset”; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to Dina in the previous verse.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces subordinate temporal clause; Function: marks time; Translation: “when”; Notes: Subjunctive of circumstance.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: Action prior to the main narrative verbs.
  4. Sichem — Lemma: Sichem; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: “Shechem”; Notes: Name transliterated from Hebrew שְׁכֶם (Shekhem).
  5. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Sichem”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Establishes parentage.
  6. Hemor — Lemma: Hemor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular (indeclinable); Function: modifies “filius”; Translation: “of Hamor”; Notes: Patronymic genitive.
  7. Hevæi — Lemma: Hevæus; Part of Speech: adjective (ethnic); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “Hemor”; Translation: “the Hivite”; Notes: Identifies national origin.
  8. princeps — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Sichem”; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Denotes political rank or tribal leadership.
  9. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Specifies dominion of the prince.
  10. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “terræ”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the region of Shechem.
  11. adamavit — Lemma: adamo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he loved”; Notes: Expresses sudden emotional attachment.
  12. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Dina.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins narrative actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes sequence of events.
  14. rapuit — Lemma: rapio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he took / seized”; Notes: Connotes abduction or violation.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: continues action chain; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential connector.
  16. dormivit — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he lay (with)”; Notes: Euphemism for sexual intercourse.
  17. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Preposition governing “illa.”
  18. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Dina.
  19. vi — Lemma: vis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by force”; Notes: Denotes means of coercion.
  20. opprimens — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “Sichem”; Translation: “oppressing / forcing”; Notes: Indicates ongoing action simultaneous with “dormivit.”
  21. virginem — Lemma: virgo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “opprimens”; Translation: “the virgin”; Notes: Refers to Dina, emphasizing purity and violence of act.

 

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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