Genesis 36:13

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:13 Filii autem Rahuel: Nahath et Zara, Samma et Meza. hi filii Basemath uxoris Esau.

And the sons of Rahuel were: Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
2 autem however / and now ADV
3 Rahuel Reuel PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
4 Nahath Nahath PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 Zara Zerah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 Samma Shammah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 Meza Mizzah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
11 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
12 Basemath of Basemath PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
13 uxoris of the wife NOUN.GEN.SG.F
14 Esau of Esau PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Filii autem Rahuel — nominative plural subject “the sons” with genitive Rahuel (“of Reuel”) identifying paternal descent.
Enumeration: Nahath et Zara, Samma et Meza — coordinate nominative proper nouns listing four sons.
Resumptive Statement: hi filii Basemath uxoris Esau — demonstrative hi refers back to the enumerated names, predicate nominative filii with genitive chain specifying maternal origin.

Morphology

  1. Filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of implied verb “sunt”; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Introduces Reuel’s descendants in nominative plural form.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/postpositive conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: “however / and now”; Notes: Marks the shift to another genealogical branch.
  3. Rahuel — Lemma: Rahuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Reuel”; Notes: Indicates the father of the sons listed.
  4. Nahath — Lemma: Nahath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to filii; Translation: “Nahath”; Notes: Firstborn of Reuel, name possibly related to “rest.”
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins coordinate names; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard list connector.
  6. Zara — Lemma: Zara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to filii; Translation: “Zerah”; Notes: Second son of Reuel; name meaning “rising” or “brightness.”
  7. Samma — Lemma: Samma; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Shammah”; Notes: Third son in Reuel’s genealogy.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects the last member; Translation: “and”; Notes: Final connector in a polysyndetic list.
  9. Meza — Lemma: Meza; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to filii; Translation: “Mizzah”; Notes: Final son in the series; closes Reuel’s progeny group.
  10. hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers back to Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
  11. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Completes the identification clause.
  12. Basemath — Lemma: Basemath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Basemath”; Notes: Specifies the maternal origin of the sons.
  13. uxoris — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive in apposition with Basemath; Translation: “of the wife”; Notes: Clarifies Basemath’s marital relationship to Esau.
  14. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive with uxoris; Translation: “of Esau”; Notes: Concludes the genealogical identification of Basemath’s offspring.

 

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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