Genesis 36:29

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:29 Hi duces Horræorum: dux Lotan, dux Sobal, dux Sebeon, dux Ana,

These are the dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
2 duces dukes / chiefs NOUN.NOM.PL.M
3 Horræorum of the Horites NOUN.GEN.PL.M
4 dux duke / chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 Lotan Lotan PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 dux duke / chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 Sobal Shobal PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 dux duke / chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 Sebeon Zibeon PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 dux duke /chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 Ana Anah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Hi duces Horræorum —
The demonstrative pronoun Hi serves as subject, duces is the predicate nominative (“are chiefs”), and Horræorum is a genitive of possession meaning “of the Horites.” The clause introduces a new list of tribal leaders.

Appositive List: dux Lotan, dux Sobal, dux Sebeon, dux Ana —
A sequence of nominative pairs (dux + proper name) enumerating the Horite leaders, each grammatically independent but linked in semantic parallelism.

Morphology

  1. Hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of implied sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Introduces the collective group of leaders that follows.
  2. duces — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “chiefs”; Notes: Refers to heads of tribal groups among the Horites.
  3. Horræorum — Lemma: Horræus; Part of Speech: noun (ethnic); Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the Horites”; Notes: Denotes the ethnic group dwelling in Seir.
  4. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Title introducing each personal name, used repeatedly for rhythm and emphasis.
  5. Lotan — Lemma: Lotan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to dux; Translation: “Lotan”; Notes: First Horite chief named, ancestral to clan of Lotan.
  6. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: parallel appositive; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Repetition for each individual denotes tribal autonomy under a patriarchal structure.
  7. Sobal — Lemma: Sobal; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Shobal”; Notes: Second Horite chief listed; name reflects a regional lineage.
  8. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive repeated; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Indicates same hierarchical role across tribes.
  9. Sebeon — Lemma: Sebeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Zibeon”; Notes: Third chief named, possibly connected with Horite settlements near Seir.
  10. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive introducing final name; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Continues formulaic structure of enumeration.
  11. Ana — Lemma: Ana; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Anah”; Notes: Fourth Horite chief; identified previously as the discoverer of hot springs.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.