Genesis 38:1

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:1 Eodem tempore descendens Iudas a fratribus suis, divertit ad Virum Odollamitem, nomine Hiram.

At that time Judas went down from his brothers and turned aside to an Odollamite man named Hiram.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Eodem at that same ADJ.ABL.SG.M
2 tempore time NOUN.ABL.SG.N
3 descendens going down PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
4 Iudas Judah NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
5 a from PREP+ABL
6 fratribus brothers NOUN.ABL.PL.M
7 suis his ADJ.POSS.ABL.PL.M
8 divertit turned aside V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
10 Virum man NOUN.ACC.SG.M
11 Odollamitem Adullamite ADJ.ACC.SG.M (proper)
12 nomine by name NOUN.ABL.SG.N
13 Hiram Hirah NOUN.ABL.SG.M (proper)

Syntax

Temporal phrase: Eodem tempore — ablative of time when, “at that same time,” marking the chronological transition to Judah’s separate narrative.

Participial phrase: descendens Iudas a fratribus suis — nominative participial construction where descendens functions as the main verbal idea: “Judah went down from his brothers.” The prepositional phrase a fratribus suis specifies separation and origin.

Main verb: divertit ad virum Odollamitem nomine Hiram — the perfect verb divertit marks a completed action: “he turned aside to a man of Adullam named Hiram.” The dative phrase nomine Hiram is an ablative of specification (“by name”).

Morphology

  1. Eodem — Lemma: idem, eadem, idem; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies tempore; Translation: “at that same”; Notes: Denotes temporal correspondence with preceding events.
  2. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: “time”; Notes: Completes temporal phrase “at that time.”
  3. descendens — Lemma: dēscendō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: modifies Iudas; Translation: “going down”; Notes: Describes Judah’s physical and narrative departure.
  4. Iudas — Lemma: Iūdās; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of both descendens and divertit; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: The eponymous ancestor of the tribe of Judah.
  5. a — Lemma: ā / ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks departure from his brothers.
  6. fratribus — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to his fellow sons of Jacob.
  7. suis — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, indicating Judah’s own brothers.
  8. divertit — Lemma: dīvertō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “turned aside”; Notes: Perfect aspect shows a completed relocation.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Introduces the indirect object of motion.
  10. Virum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “man”; Notes: Identifies the person to whom Judah turned.
  11. Odollamitem — Lemma: Odollamita; Part of Speech: adjective (gentilic); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifier of Virum; Translation: “Adullamite”; Notes: Refers to a man from the city of Adullam in Judah’s territory.
  12. nomine — Lemma: nōmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of specification; Translation: “by name”; Notes: Introduces the identification of the man’s personal name.
  13. Hiram — Lemma: Hiram; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: complement to nomine; Translation: “Hiram”; Notes: The personal name of the Adullamite man with whom Judah associated.

 

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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