Genesis 34:3

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:3 Et conglutinata est anima eius cum ea, tristemque delinivit blanditiis.

And his soul was bound to her, and he soothed the sorrowful one with caresses.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 conglutinata was joined / bound together PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.F
3 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
4 anima soul NOM.SG.F
5 eius his GEN.SG.M (PRON)
6 cum with PREP+ABL
7 ea her ABL.SG.F (PRON)
8 tristemque and the sorrowful one ACC.SG.M/F + ENCLITIC -QUE
9 delinivit soothed / consoled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 blandiitiis with caresses / flattery ABL.PL.F

Syntax

First Clause: Et conglutinata est anima eius cum ea — “And his soul was bound to her.”
• Verb: conglutinata est — compound perfect (passive participle + auxiliary), expressing attachment.
• Subject: anima eius — “his soul.”
• Prepositional Phrase: cum ea — “with her,” indicating emotional union.

Second Clause: tristemque delinivit blanditiis — “and he soothed the sorrowful one with caresses.”
• Conjunction: -que — connects both clauses.
• Verb: delinivit — perfect tense, expressing completed consolation.
• Object: tristem — “the sorrowful one,” i.e., Dina.
• Ablative of Means: blandiitiis — “with caresses,” denotes the means of comfort.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links the two actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects emotional attachment with the act of comfort.
  2. conglutinata — Lemma: conglutino; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle, nominative singular feminine; Function: part of compound perfect verb; Translation: “was joined / bound together”; Notes: Figurative of affection or attachment.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: completes compound tense; Translation: “was”; Notes: Auxiliary of perfect passive.
  4. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “soul”; Notes: Represents inner being or emotional life.
  5. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “anima”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Shechem.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses association; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates emotional union.
  7. ea — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Dina.
  8. tristemque — Lemma: tristis; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively) + enclitic -que; Form: accusative singular masculine/feminine; Function: direct object of “delinivit”; Translation: “and the sorrowful one”; Notes: Describes Dina’s emotional state.
  9. delinivit — Lemma: delinio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “soothed / consoled”; Notes: Commonly used for appeasement or emotional persuasion.
  10. blandiitiis — Lemma: blanditia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with caresses / flattery”; Notes: Denotes gentle words or gestures used to calm another.

 

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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