Genesis 34:17

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:17 si autem circumcidi nolueritis, tollemus filiam nostram, et recedemus.

but if you are unwilling to be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 si if CONJ
2 autem but / however CONJ
3 circumcidi to be circumcised PRES.PASS.INF
4 nolueritis you are unwilling 2PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
5 tollemus we will take 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
6 filiam daughter ACC.SG.F
7 nostram our ACC.SG.F (ADJ)
8 et and CONJ
9 recedemus we will depart / withdraw 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Conditional Clause: si autem circumcidi nolueritis — “But if you are unwilling to be circumcised.”
• Conjunction: si — introduces the protasis (condition).
• Conjunction: autem — adds contrast with the previous offer.
• Infinitive: circumcidi — passive infinitive dependent on “nolueritis,” meaning “to be circumcised.”
• Verb: nolueritis — future perfect, expresses unwillingness preceding future action.

Main Clause (Apodosis): tollemus filiam nostram, et recedemus — “we will take our daughter and depart.”
• Verbs: tollemus and recedemus — future indicative verbs denoting decisive withdrawal.
• Direct Object: filiam nostram — “our daughter,” object of “tollemus.”
• Conjunction: et — connects the two sequential future actions.

Morphology

  1. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Signals hypothetical refusal to comply with covenant condition.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds contrast; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Marks shift from positive to negative alternative in the negotiation.
  3. circumcidi — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: infinitive complement to “nolueritis”; Translation: “to be circumcised”; Notes: Passive form stresses receiving the ritual action.
  4. nolueritis — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of protasis; Translation: “you are unwilling”; Notes: Future perfect expresses completed refusal prior to the apodosis.
  5. tollemus — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person plural future active indicative; Function: first verb of apodosis; Translation: “we will take”; Notes: Indicates decisive reclaiming of Dinah from Shechem’s house.
  6. filiam — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “tollemus”; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Refers specifically to Dinah, the sister who was defiled.
  7. nostram — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “filiam”; Translation: “our”; Notes: Emphasizes familial ownership and honor.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins coordinated verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects consecutive actions in response to refusal.
  9. recedemus — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person plural future active indicative; Function: second verb of apodosis; Translation: “we will depart”; Notes: Indicates final withdrawal and termination of alliance discussion.

 

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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