Genesis 46:17

Posted on February 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 46:17 Filii Aser: Iamne et Iesua et Iessui et Beria, Sara quoque soror eorum. Filii Beria: Heber et Melchiel.

The sons of Aser: Jamne and Jesua and Jessui and Beria, and Sara their sister also. The sons of Beria: Heber and Melchiel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filii sons NOM.PL.M
2 Aser Asher GEN.SG.M
3 Iamne Imnah NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Iesua Ishvah NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 Iessui Ishvi NOM.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 Beria Beriah NOM.SG.M
10 Sara Serah NOM.SG.F
11 quoque also ADV
12 soror sister NOM.SG.F
13 eorum of them GEN.PL.M
14 Filii sons NOM.PL.M
15 Beria of Beriah GEN.SG.M
16 Heber Heber NOM.SG.M
17 et and CONJ
18 Melchiel Malchiel NOM.SG.M

Syntax

First Genealogical Heading: Filii Aser introduces the list of Aser’s sons.
Nominative Series: Iamne, Iesua, Iessui, and Beria form a coordinated list, linked by repeated et.
Additional Family Note: Sara quoque soror eorum adds that Sara, “their sister,” is also included, with soror as nominative and eorum as genitive plural indicating relation.

Second Genealogical Heading: Filii Beria introduces a subordinate genealogical unit specifying the sons of Beria (himself one of Aser’s sons).
Nominative Series: Heber and Melchiel appear in coordinated nominative form as Beria’s sons.

Morphology

  1. Filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: heading and logical subject of the genealogical statement; Translation: “sons”; Notes: standard formula beginning tribal or family lists.
  2. Aser — Lemma: Aser; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of relationship modifying Filii; Translation: “of Aser”; Notes: Hebrew tribal name rendered in Latin, marking Aser as the father of the sons listed.
  3. Iamne — Lemma: Iamne; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: first son in the list; Translation: “Iamne”; Notes: stands in nominative agreement with the implied “sons” heading.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Iamne to Iesua within the list; Translation: “and”; Notes: basic additive connector, frequently repeated for clarity in genealogical prose.
  5. Iesua — Lemma: Iesua; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinated son of Aser; Translation: “Iesua”; Notes: parallel in syntax and status to the other sons named.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins Iesua to Iessui; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the paratactic listing pattern.
  7. Iessui — Lemma: Iessui; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinated member of the list; Translation: “Iessui”; Notes: another son of Aser, syntactically parallel to the others.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Iessui to Beria; Translation: “and”; Notes: maintains the same additive list structure.
  9. Beria — Lemma: Beria; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (in this first occurrence); Function: last son in the first genealogical list; Translation: “Beria”; Notes: later becomes the father in the secondary heading “Filii Beria.”
  10. Sara — Lemma: Sara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the clause describing the sister; Translation: “Sara”; Notes: singled out as the sister of Aser’s sons, not part of the male list but closely related.
  11. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis to Sara’s inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: typically postpositive, here reinforcing that she too belongs to the family group.
  12. soror — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative renaming Sara; Translation: “sister”; Notes: identifies her specific role in relation to the sons.
  13. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: third-person pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of relationship depending on soror; Translation: “of them”; Notes: refers back to the sons of Aser, clarifying that Sara is their sister.
  14. Filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: second genealogical heading; Translation: “sons”; Notes: introduces the descendants of Beria as a sub-branch of Aser’s family.
  15. Beria — Lemma: Beria; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (in this second occurrence); Function: genitive of relationship modifying Filii; Translation: “of Beria”; Notes: here Beria is not himself listed as a son but presented as father of the next generation.
  16. Heber — Lemma: Heber; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: first son of Beria; Translation: “Heber”; Notes: one of the two named descendants under the sub-heading “Filii Beria.”
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects Heber and Melchiel as a coordinated pair; Translation: “and”; Notes: marks the second of Beria’s sons as equally part of the same set.
  18. Melchiel — Lemma: Melchiel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: second son in the “Filii Beria” list; Translation: “Melchiel”; Notes: completes the small genealogical sub-unit descending from Beria.

 

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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