Genesis 38:4

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:4 Rursumque concepto fœtu, natum filium vocavit Onan.

And again, having conceived, she bore a son and called him Onan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV + ENCLITIC.CONJ
2 concepto having conceived PART.PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.M/N
3 fœtu offspring / child NOUN.ABL.SG.M
4 natum born PART.PERF.PASS.ACC.SG.M
5 filium son NOUN.ACC.SG.M
6 vocavit called V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Onan Onan NOUN.ACC.SG.M (proper)

Syntax

Adverbial opening: Rursumque — adverb “again” with enclitic conjunction “-que,” linking this event to the previous birth narrative.

Ablative absolute: concepto fœtu — ablative absolute construction expressing circumstance preceding the main verb: “when she had conceived.”

Main clause: natum filium vocavit Onan — direct object construction with participle natum modifying filium; verb vocavit introduces the act of naming; Onan functions as object complement.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum + -que; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces repetition of a previous action; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Indicates a continuation in the sequence of births.
  2. concepto — Lemma: concipiō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular perfect passive; Function: part of ablative absolute with fœtu; Translation: “having conceived”; Notes: Refers to the completed conception before childbirth.
  3. fœtu — Lemma: fœtus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “offspring” / “child”; Notes: Completes the ablative absolute phrase, expressing the condition “after conceiving.”
  4. natum — Lemma: nāscor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: accusative singular masculine perfect passive; Function: modifies filium; Translation: “born”; Notes: Despite passive form, deponent verb carries active meaning (“gave birth to”).
  5. filium — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vocavit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Identifies the newborn child being named.
  6. vocavit — Lemma: vocō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “called”; Notes: Introduces naming clause; perfect tense indicates completed act of naming.
  7. Onan — Lemma: Onan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object complement with vocavit; Translation: “Onan”; Notes: The name of Judah’s second son, corresponding to Hebrew אוֹנָן (*ʾOnān*), meaning “strength” or “vigorous.”

 

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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