Genesis 47:31

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:31 Et ille: Iura ergo, inquit, mihi. Quo iurante, adoravit Israel Deum, conversus ad lectuli caput.

And he said: “Therefore swear to me.” And when he had sworn, Israel adored God, turning toward the head of the little bed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
3 Iura swear 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
4 ergo therefore ADV
5 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
7 Quo when ABL.SG.M.REL
8 iurante swearing ABL.SG.M.PTCP.PRES.ACT
9 adoravit adored 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M.PROP
11 Deum God ACC.SG.M
12 conversus turned NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
13 ad toward PREP+ACC
14 lectuli of the little bed GEN.SG.M
15 caput head ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Dialogue Formula:
Et ille: Iura ergo, inquit, mihi.
• ille = subject
• Iura = imperative (“swear”)
• ergo = adverb intensifying command
• mihi = dative indirect object
• inquit = enclitic-style verb introducing quoted speech

Temporal Ablative Absolute:
Quo iurante — “when he had sworn”
• quo = ablative relative pronoun functioning as an ablative absolute marker
• iurante = present active participle, ablative singular
→ The phrase sets the temporal background for the following action.

Main Clause:
adoravit Israel Deum — “Israel adored God.”
• adoravit = verb
• Israel = subject
• Deum = object

Participial Modifier:
conversus ad lectuli caput — “turned toward the head of the bed.”
• conversus = nominative singular masculine participle modifying Israel
• ad lectuli caput = prepositional phrase showing direction

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects narrative sequence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard narrative linker.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  3. Iura — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active second singular; Function: command; Translation: “swear”; Notes: Continuation of oath dialogue.
  4. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Function: intensifier; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Logical emphasis.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: parenthetical speech verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common direct-speech marker.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Recipient of action “swear.”
  7. Quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute marker; Translation: “when”; Notes: Introduces circumstantial clause.
  8. iurante — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine present active participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “swearing”; Notes: Describes Joseph’s completed oath.
  9. adoravit — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “adored”; Notes: Expresses worship/reverence.
  10. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Name of Jacob.
  11. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “God”; Notes: Object of adoration.
  12. conversus — Lemma: converto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: describes subject; Translation: “turned”; Notes: Indicates bodily orientation in worship.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Motion toward position.
  14. lectuli — Lemma: lectulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies caput; Translation: “of the bed”; Notes: Diminutive form indicating small bed or couch.
  15. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: “head”; Notes: Direction of Jacob’s turning.

 

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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