Genesis 49:30

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:30 contra Mambre in Terra Chanaan, quam emit Abraham cum agro ab Ephron Hethæo in possessionem sepulchri.

opposite Mambre in the Land of Chanaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hethite for a possession of a sepulchre.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 contra opposite PREP+ACC
2 Mambre Mamre PN.ACC.SG
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 Terra land N.FEM.ABL.SG
5 Chanaan Canaan PN.GEN.SG
6 quam which REL.PRON.ACC.SG.F
7 emit bought V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Abraham Abraham PN.NOM.SG
9 cum with PREP+ABL
10 agro field N.MASC.ABL.SG
11 ab from PREP+ABL
12 Ephron Ephron PN.ABL.SG
13 Hethæo the Hittite ADJ.ABL.SG.M
14 in into/for PREP+ACC
15 possessionem possession N.FEM.ACC.SG
16 sepulchri of a sepulchre N.NEUT.GEN.SG

Syntax

Prepositional phrase: contra Mambre —
contra governs the accusative, indicating position “opposite Mamre.”

Locative phrase: in Terra Chanaan —
Terra Chanaan forms an ablative of location (“in the land of Canaan”).

Relative clause: quam emit Abraham cum agro ab Ephron Hethæo —
quam refers back to Terra.
emit Abraham is the core clause: Abraham is the subject.
cum agro expresses accompaniment: “with the field.”
ab Ephron Hethæo expresses source.

Purpose/Result phrase: in possessionem sepulchri —
in with the accusative expresses intended purpose: “for a possession of a sepulchre.”

Morphology

  1. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial marker; Translation: opposite; Notes: expresses facing position.
  2. Mambre — Lemma: Mambre; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of contra; Translation: Mamre; Notes: location near Hebron.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: standard place-where construction.
  4. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: land; Notes: geographical indication.
  5. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: specifying whose land; Translation: of Canaan; Notes: Hebrew loan-name.
  6. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of emit; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to Terra.
  7. emit — Lemma: emo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: bought; Notes: decisive historical action.
  8. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: Abraham; Notes: patriarch.
  9. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: links land purchase with field.
  10. agro — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: field; Notes: part of the purchase.
  11. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source; Translation: from; Notes: originator of sale.
  12. Ephron — Lemma: Ephron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of ab; Translation: Ephron; Notes: Hittite seller.
  13. Hethæo — Lemma: Hethaeus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Ephron; Translation: the Hittite; Notes: ethnic designation.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: purpose/result; Translation: into/for; Notes: accusative expresses intended possession.
  15. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: possession; Notes: legal acquisition.
  16. sepulchri — Lemma: sepulchrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of purpose; Translation: of a sepulchre; Notes: specific intended use.

 

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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