Genesis 35:22

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:22 Cumque habitaret in illa regione, abiit Ruben, et dormivit cum Bala concubina patris sui: quod illum minime latuit. Erant autem filii Iacob duodecim.

And while he was living in that region, Ruben went and slept with Bala, his father’s concubine; and it did not escape his notice. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ (CUM + -QUE ENCL)
2 habitaret he was dwelling 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 illa that ADJ.ABL.SG.F
5 regione region NOUN.ABL.SG.F
6 abiit he went 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Ruben Reuben PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 dormivit slept 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 cum with PREP+ABL
11 Bala Bilhah PROP.NOUN.ABL.SG.F
12 concubina concubine NOUN.ABL.SG.F
13 patris of (his) father NOUN.GEN.SG.M
14 sui his PRON.GEN.SG.M
15 quod which PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
16 illum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
17 minime not at all ADV
18 latuit escaped / was hidden 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 Erant were 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND
20 autem but / now ADV (POSTPOSITIVE)
21 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
22 Iacob Jacob PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
23 duodecim twelve NUM.INVAR

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque habitaret in illa regione — a subordinate clause introduced by Cum + subjunctive habitaret, expressing the temporal setting “while he was dwelling in that region.”
Main Clause 1: abiit Ruben, et dormivit cum Bala concubina patris sui — compound main clause with subject Ruben, verbs abiit and dormivit; the prepositional phrase cum Bala concubina patris sui indicates the illicit act.
Relative/Result Clause: quod illum minime latuit — “which did not at all escape him”; subject quod refers to the entire previous event; latuit takes illum as object.
Independent Statement: Erant autem filii Iacob duodecim — copular clause with subject complement duodecim describing total sons of Jacob.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction with enclitic; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: cum + subjunctive = temporal circumstance.
  2. habitaret — Lemma: habitō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “he was dwelling”; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive follows cum for narrative background.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Common locative preposition.
  4. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies “regione”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Demonstrates specificity of the region.
  5. regione — Lemma: regiō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “region”; Notes: Expresses spatial domain.
  6. abiit — Lemma: abeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he went”; Notes: Describes motion toward the act’s scene.
  7. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “abiit” and “dormivit”; Translation: “Reuben”; Notes: Eldest son of Jacob and Leah.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination.
  9. dormivit — Lemma: dormiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “he slept”; Notes: Euphemistic idiom for sexual relations.
  10. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces partner of action.
  11. Bala — Lemma: Bala; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “Bilhah”; Notes: Rachel’s handmaid and Jacob’s concubine.
  12. concubina — Lemma: concubina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: appositive to “Bala”; Translation: “concubine”; Notes: Clarifies Bilhah’s status.
  13. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “concubina”; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Indicates illicit familial relation.
  14. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “patris”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to subject “Ruben.”
  15. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: relative/connecting pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: refers to preceding action; Translation: “which / that thing”; Notes: Connects to main clause “latuit.”
  16. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “latuit”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  17. minime — Lemma: minimē; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb intensively; Translation: “not at all”; Notes: Strong denial intensifier.
  18. latuit — Lemma: lateō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “escaped / was hidden”; Notes: Denotes knowledge not concealed from Jacob.
  19. Erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: copula; Translation: “were”; Notes: Describes state or number.
  20. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: mild connective; Translation: “now / however”; Notes: Postpositive narrative transition.
  21. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “erant”; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Identifies Jacob’s offspring.
  22. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive with “filii”; Translation: “of Jacob”; Notes: Marks paternal lineage.
  23. duodecim — Lemma: duodecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: predicate nominative complement; Translation: “twelve”; Notes: Cardinal numeral identifying total sons.

 

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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