Genesis 42:29

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:29 Veneruntque ad Iacob patrem suum in terram Chanaan, et narraverunt ei omnia quæ accidissent sibi, dicentes:

And they came to Jacob their father in the land of Chanaan, and they told him all the things that had happened to them, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Veneruntque and they came 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 Iacob Jacob ACC.SG.M
4 patrem father ACC.SG.M
5 suum their ACC.SG.M (REFL.POSS)
6 in in PREP+ACC
7 terram land ACC.SG.F
8 Chanaan Chanaan ACC.SG.F
9 et and CONJ
10 narraverunt they told 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
11 ei to him DAT.SG.M
12 omnia all things ACC.PL.N
13 quæ which REL.PRON.NOM.PL.N
14 accidissent had happened 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
15 sibi to themselves DAT.SG/PL (REFL.PRON)
16 dicentes saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Veneruntque ad Iacob patrem suum — subject (they) + verb “came” + prepositional phrase “to Jacob their father.”
Locative Phrase: in terram Chanaan — specifies destination.
Coordinated Verb: et narraverunt ei omnia — second main action, “and they told him everything.”
Relative Clause: quae accidissent sibi — describes the content of what was told.
• accidissent is pluperfect subjunctive, dependent on narration.
Participial Clause: dicentes — introduces coming direct speech in the next verse.

Morphology

  1. Veneruntque — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: -que joins with the narrative flow.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces destination.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Their father.
  4. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Iacob”; Translation: “father”; Notes: Clarifies relationship.
  5. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “patrem”; Translation: “their”; Notes: Possession relative to subject.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative (motion toward); Function: direction; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates movement into region.
  7. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; <bFunction: object of preposition; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to region of return.
  8. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: geographical name; Translation: “Chanaan”; Notes: Vulgate Latin form.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Neutral connector.
  10. narraverunt — Lemma: narro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: second main verb; Translation: “they told”; Notes: Introduces report.
  11. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  12. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Summarizes events.
  13. quae — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to “omnia.”
  14. accidissent — Lemma: accido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had happened”; Notes: Subjunctive after indirect discourse.
  15. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular/plural; Function: indicates to whom events happened; Translation: “to themselves”; Notes: Reflexive to subject “they.”
  16. dicentes — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Foreshadows next quoted words.

 

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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