Genesis 49:17

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:17 Fiat Dan coluber in via, cerastes in semita, mordens ungulas equi, ut cadat ascensor eius retro.

Let Dan be a serpent on the road, a horned viper on the path, biting the horse’s heels so that its rider falls backward.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fiat let him be V.3SG.PRES.SBJV.ACT
2 Dan Dan PN.NOM.SG.M
3 coluber serpent N.MASC.NOM.SG
4 in in/on PREP+ABL
5 via road N.FEM.ABL.SG
6 cerastes horned viper N.MASC.NOM.SG
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 semita path N.FEM.ABL.SG
9 mordens biting PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
10 ungulas hooves N.FEM.ACC.PL
11 equi of the horse N.MASC.GEN.SG
12 ut so that CONJ.PURPOSE
13 cadat may fall V.3SG.PRES.SBJV.ACT
14 ascensor rider N.MASC.NOM.SG
15 eius his/its PRON.GEN.SG
16 retro backward ADV

Syntax

Volitive clause: Fiat Dan coluber in via — Fiat (subjunctive) expresses a wish or prophetic decree.
Dan is the subject; coluber is the predicate nominative; in via specifies location.

Appositional image: cerastes in semita provides a second metaphor for Dan.
cerastes stands in apposition to coluber, intensifying the imagery.

Participial clause: mordens ungulas equi describes the serpent’s action.
ungulas equi is a noun + genitive construction: “the horse’s hooves.”

Purpose clause: ut cadat ascensor eius retro — ut introduces purpose.
cadat (subjunctive) is the verb; ascensor eius is the subject; retro gives direction.

Morphology

  1. Fiat — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present subjunctive active; Function: volitive main verb; Translation: let him be; Notes: expresses desire or decree.
  2. Dan — Lemma: Dan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Dan; Notes: tribal patriarch.
  3. coluber — Lemma: coluber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: serpent; Notes: metaphor for subtlety or danger.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial location; Translation: in; Notes: static position.
  5. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: road; Notes: common locative expression.
  6. cerastes — Lemma: cerastes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to coluber; Translation: horned viper; Notes: denotes a dangerous desert serpent.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: spatial location; Translation: in; Notes: parallels earlier phrase.
  8. semita — Lemma: semita; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: path; Notes: narrower than via.
  9. mordens — Lemma: mordeo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: describes Dan (as serpent); Translation: biting; Notes: expresses ongoing, hostile action.
  10. ungulas — Lemma: ungula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of mordens; Translation: hooves; Notes: specific to horses and livestock.
  11. equi — Lemma: equus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the horse; Notes: describes whose hooves.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that; Notes: standard for final clauses.
  13. cadat — Lemma: cado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: may fall; Notes: expresses intended effect.
  14. ascensor — Lemma: ascensor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of cadat; Translation: rider; Notes: rarely used, vivid term.
  15. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive modifier of ascensor; Translation: his / its; Notes: likely referring to the horse.
  16. retro — Lemma: retro; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: indicates direction; Translation: backward; Notes: result of being unseated.

 

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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