Genesis 49:4

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:4 Effusus es sicut aqua, non crescas: quia ascendisti cubile patris tui, et maculasti stratum eius.

You poured yourself out like water; you shall not increase, because you went up to the bed of your father and defiled his couch.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Effusus poured out PPP.NOM.SG.M
2 es you are V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 sicut like CONJ/ADV
4 aqua water N.FEM.NOM.SG
5 non not ADV.NEG
6 crescas you shall increase V.2SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
7 quia because CONJ.SUBORD
8 ascendisti you went up V.2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 cubile bed N.NEUT.ACC.SG
10 patris of (your) father N.MASC.GEN.SG
11 tui your POSS.ADJ.MASC.GEN.SG
12 et and CONJ.COORD
13 maculasti you defiled V.2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 stratum couch N.NEUT.ACC.SG
15 eius his PRON.GEN.SG

Syntax

Descriptive rebuke: Effusus es sicut aqua forms a predicate construction with Effusus as a perfect passive participle and es as the copula, describing instability or lack of restraint.

Prohibition / judgment: non crescas is a subjunctive used as a jussive negative: “you shall not increase,” conveying lost preeminence.

Causal clause: quia ascendisti cubile patris tui provides the reason for the judgment.
cubile patris tui is a noun phrase with a dependent possessive genitive.

Coordinated accusation: et maculasti stratum eius adds a second completed action with maculasti and its object stratum eius, reinforcing Reuben’s guilt.

Morphology

  1. Effusus — Lemma: effundo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: poured out; Notes: metaphor for instability or uncontrolled behavior.
  2. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: you are; Notes: links subject and participle.
  3. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: invariant; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: like; Notes: common biblical simile marker.
  4. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: comparative object; Translation: water; Notes: implies fluidity and lack of firmness.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative particle; Function: negates crescas; Translation: not; Notes: forms jussive negation.
  6. crescas — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: jussive clause; Translation: you shall increase; Notes: expresses loss of primogenital privilege.
  7. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: standard biblical explanatory connective.
  8. ascendisti — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: you went up; Notes: euphemism for sexual violation.
  9. cubile — Lemma: cubile; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of ascendisti; Translation: bed; Notes: literal and moral transgression.
  10. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of (your) father; Notes: identifies the violated person.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: reinforces personal relationship.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects coordinated verbs; Translation: and; Notes: adds second accusation.
  13. maculasti — Lemma: maculo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of coordinated clause; Translation: you defiled; Notes: strong moral implication.
  14. stratum — Lemma: stratum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of maculasti; Translation: couch; Notes: parallel to cubile.
  15. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies stratum; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to the father (Jacob).

 

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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