Genesis 35:15

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:15 vocansque nomen loci illius, Bethel.

and he called the name of that place Bethel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 vocansque and calling PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M + ENCL -QUE
2 nomen name NOUN.ACC.SG.N
3 loci of the place NOUN.GEN.SG.M
4 illius that PRON.GEN.SG.M
5 Bethel Bethel PROP.NOUN.ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Participial Construction: vocansque nomen loci illius Bethel — the present active participle vocans (with enclitic -que) connects to the previous main clause, indicating concurrent or subsequent action by Jacob.
The direct object is nomen, modified by the genitive phrase loci illius (“of that place”), and the predicate accusative Bethel gives the name assigned.
Thus the sense is: “and (he) called the name of that place Bethel.”

Morphology

  1. vocansque — Lemma: vocō; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: expresses simultaneous action; Translation: “and calling”; Notes: Refers to Jacob naming the site after offering libations.
  2. nomen — Lemma: nōmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “vocans”; Translation: “name”; Notes: Object of the act of naming.
  3. loci — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive modifier of “nomen”; Translation: “of the place”; Notes: Specifies what name was given.
  4. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “loci”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Demonstrative referring to the same sacred site where God appeared to Jacob.
  5. Bethel — Lemma: Bethel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: predicate accusative renaming “nomen”; Translation: “Bethel”; Notes: Hebrew-origin name meaning “House of God.”

 

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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