Genesis 36:8

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:8 Habitavitque Esau in monte Seir, ipse est Edom.

And Esau lived in Mount Seir; he is Edom.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Habitavitque and lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 Esau Esau PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 monte mount NOUN.ABL.SG.M
5 Seir Seir PROP.NOUN.ABL.SG.M
6 ipse he himself PRON.NOM.SG.M
7 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 Edom Edom PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1: Habitavitque Esau in monte Seir — main clause with verb Habitavit, subject Esau, and prepositional phrase in monte Seir; “And Esau lived in Mount Seir.”
Clause 2: ipse est Edom — copular clause equating ipse (“he himself”) with Edom; identifies Esau’s other name or lineage: “he is Edom.”

Morphology

  1. Habitavitque — Lemma: habitō + -que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular + “and”; Function: main verb; Translation: “and lived”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this clause to the preceding verse narratively.
  2. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of habitavit; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Progenitor of Edom, here marking his settlement.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates fixed position within a geographical location.
  4. monte — Lemma: mōns; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “mountain / mount”; Notes: Represents the region known for Esau’s descendants.
  5. Seir — Lemma: Seir; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: genitive apposition within prepositional phrase; Translation: “Seir”; Notes: Mountainous region southeast of the Dead Sea, later inhabited by Edomites.
  6. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Adds emphasis to identification: “he himself is Edom.”
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula linking ipse and Edom; Translation: “is”; Notes: Simple declarative linkage for identification.
  8. Edom — Lemma: Edom; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative complement of est; Translation: “Edom”; Notes: Name meaning “red,” identifying Esau’s descendants and nation.

 

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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