Genesis 38:15

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:15 Quam cum vidisset Iudas, suspicatus est esse meretricem: operuerat enim vultum suum, ne agnosceretur.

When Judas saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face so that she would not be recognized.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quam whom / her PRON.REL.ACC.SG.F
2 cum when CONJ
3 vidisset had seen V.3SG.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
4 Iudas Judah NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
5 suspicatus having suspected / thought PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M
6 est was / has V.3SG.PRES.IND.AUX
7 esse to be V.INF.PRES.ACT
8 meretricem prostitute / harlot NOUN.ACC.SG.F
9 operuerat had covered V.3SG.PLUPERF.IND.ACT
10 enim for CONJ.EXPL
11 vultum face NOUN.ACC.SG.M
12 suum her own PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.M
13 ne lest / so that not CONJ.PURP
14 agnosceretur she be recognized V.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.PASS

Syntax

Main Clause: suspicatus est esse meretricem — perfect deponent construction meaning “he thought (her) to be a prostitute.” The infinitive esse with accusative meretricem forms an indirect statement dependent on suspicatus est.

Temporal Clause: quam cum vidisset Iudas — subordinate clause meaning “when Judah saw her.” The relative pronoun quam connects to the previous verse’s subject (Thamar). The verb vidisset is pluperfect subjunctive, expressing anteriority to the main action.

Causal Clause: operuerat enim vultum suum — introduced by enim (“for”), explaining the reason for Judah’s misidentification.

Final Clause: ne agnosceretur — expresses purpose (“so that she would not be recognized”), using the subjunctive to indicate intention or prevention.

Morphology

  1. Quam — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of vidisset; Translation: “whom / her”; Notes: Refers to Thamar, linking the sentence to the previous narrative action.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Used with subjunctive verb vidisset to indicate temporal sequence.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: Subjunctive used in a circumstantial cum-clause indicating prior action.
  4. Iudas — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of vidisset and suspicatus est; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: Central figure in the narrative; perceives Thamar’s disguise.
  5. suspicatus — Lemma: suspicor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect deponent; Function: forms periphrastic perfect with est; Translation: “having suspected / thought”; Notes: Though perfect in form, active in meaning.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary in deponent periphrasis; Translation: “was / has”; Notes: Combines with suspicatus to express completed thought.
  7. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: infinitive present active; Function: infinitive in indirect statement; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Complements suspicatus est with meretricem as its subject accusative.
  8. meretricem — Lemma: meretrix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate accusative in indirect statement; Translation: “a prostitute”; Notes: The term in Latin often indicates a woman engaged in cultic or secular prostitution.
  9. operuerat — Lemma: operiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “had covered”; Notes: Describes her concealment preceding Judah’s approach.
  10. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides reason for Judah’s misconception.
  11. vultum — Lemma: vultus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of operuerat; Translation: “face”; Notes: Symbolically, the concealment of identity.
  12. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: agrees with vultum; Translation: “her own”; Notes: Reflexive reference to Thamar’s face.
  13. ne — Lemma: nē; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces final clause; Translation: “lest / so that not”; Notes: Introduces purpose for her concealment.
  14. agnosceretur — Lemma: agnoscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive passive; Function: verb of final clause; Translation: “she might be recognized”; Notes: Passive form indicates her intent to prevent recognition by Judah.

 

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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