Genesis 38:3

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:3 Quæ concepit, et peperit filium, et vocavit nomen eius Her.

She conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Her.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quæ who PRON.REL.NOM.SG.F
2 concepit conceived V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 et and CONJ
4 peperit bore V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 filium son NOUN.ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 vocavit called V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 nomen name NOUN.ACC.SG.N
9 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
10 Her Er NOUN.ACC.SG.M (proper)

Syntax

Relative clause: Quæ concepit et peperit filium — relative pronoun Quæ (referring to the Canaanite wife of Judah) functions as subject. Two coordinated perfect verbs (concepit, peperit) describe successive completed actions: conception and childbirth.

Main clause: et vocavit nomen eius Her — independent clause with subject implied (the same woman), verb vocavit, and double accusative construction (nomen and Her): “she called his name Er.”

Morphology

  1. Quæ — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of concepit and peperit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to Judah’s Canaanite wife, Shua’s daughter.
  2. concepit — Lemma: concipiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: first verb in a compound predicate; Translation: “conceived”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed conception event.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential actions.
  4. peperit — Lemma: pariō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: second verb of the compound predicate; Translation: “bore”; Notes: Describes childbirth following conception.
  5. filium — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of peperit; Translation: “son”; Notes: The child born to Judah’s wife.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins childbirth to naming clause.
  7. vocavit — Lemma: vocō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the naming clause; Translation: “called”; Notes: Perfect tense expresses completed naming action.
  8. nomen — Lemma: nōmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: internal object (object complement with vocavit); Translation: “name”; Notes: Part of double accusative structure (“called his name Er”).
  9. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of nomen; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the son born (Er).
  10. Her — Lemma: Her; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object complement of vocavit; Translation: “Er”; Notes: The name given to Judah’s firstborn son, from Hebrew עֵר (ʿEr).

 

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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