Genesis 49:28

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:28 Omnes hi in tribubus Israel duodecim: hæc locutus est eis pater suus, benedixitque singulis benedictionibus propriis.

All these are in the tribes of Israel twelve; these things their father spoke to them, and he blessed each one with his own proper blessings.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnes all ADJ.NOM.PL.M
2 hi these PRON.NOM.PL.M
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 tribubus tribes N.FEM.ABL.PL
5 Israel Israel PN.GEN.SG (construct)
6 duodecim twelve NUM.INVAR
7 hæc these things PRON.ACC.PL.N
8 locutus having spoken PPP.NOM.SG.M (DEP)
9 est he spoke V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 eis to them PRON.DAT.PL.M
11 pater father N.MASC.NOM.SG
12 suus his PRON.NOM.SG.M (REFL)
13 benedixitque and he blessed V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
14 singulis to each one ADJ.DAT.PL.M/F/N
15 benedictionibus with blessings N.FEM.ABL.PL
16 propriis their own ADJ.ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Nominative statement: Omnes hi in tribubus Israel duodecim —
Omnes hi is the subject (“all these”).
in tribubus Israel functions as a prepositional phrase classifying them as belonging to the tribes of Israel.
duodecim stands in apposition, specifying their number.

Main clause: hæc locutus est eis pater suus —
hæc (neuter plural) is the object of locutus est (deponent, active meaning).
pater suus is the subject (“their father”).
eis is the indirect object (“to them”).

Coordinated clause with enclitic: benedixitque singulis benedictionibus propriis —
benedixitque (“and he blessed”) takes the dative singulis (“each one”).
benedictionibus propriis is an ablative of manner/instrument (“with his own proper blessings”).

Morphology

  1. Omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies hi; Translation: all; Notes: indicates totality.
  2. hi — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject with omnes; Translation: these; Notes: refers to the sons of Jacob.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: prepositional marker; Translation: in; Notes: introduces locative phrase.
  4. tribubus — Lemma: tribus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: tribes; Notes: one of the rare fourth-declension feminines.
  5. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular (indeclinable); Function: specifying whose tribes; Translation: of Israel; Notes: Hebraism preserved in Latin.
  6. duodecim — Lemma: duodecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: apposition; Translation: twelve; Notes: number of Jacob’s sons/tribes.
  7. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of locutus est; Translation: these things; Notes: refers to the blessings.
  8. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of finite verb; Translation: having spoken; Notes: passive form, active meaning.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: he spoke; Notes: completes deponent verb.
  10. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to them; Notes: the sons receiving the blessings.
  11. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of locutus est; Translation: father; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  12. suus — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies pater; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to the subject.
  13. benedixitque — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he blessed; Notes: -que tightly links to previous clause.
  14. singulis — Lemma: singuli; Part of Speech: distributive adjective; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object of benedixit; Translation: to each one; Notes: emphasizes individual blessings.
  15. benedictionibus — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of instrument; Translation: with blessings; Notes: indicates means by which Jacob blessed.
  16. propriis — Lemma: proprius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies benedictionibus; Translation: their own; Notes: each blessing matched the character of each son.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.