Genesis 21:29

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

29 Cui dixit Abimelech: Quid sibi volunt septem agnæ istæ, quas stare fecisti seorsum?

And Abimelech said to him: “What do these seven ewe lambs mean, which you have set apart by themselves?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to him DAT.SG.M.REL.PRON
2 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Abimelech Abimelech NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
4 Quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG.PRON
5 sibi to himself DAT.SG.REFL.PRON
6 volunt do they mean / want 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 septem seven NUM.CARD.INVAR
8 agnæ ewe lambs NOM.PL.F
9 istæ these NOM.PL.F.DEM.PRON
10 quas which ACC.PL.F.REL.PRON
11 stare to stand PRES.ACT.INF
12 fecisti you made 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 seorsum apart ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: Cui dixit Abimelech — Dative cui marks indirect object (“to him”), introducing direct discourse.
Indirect Question: Quid sibi volunt septem agnæ istæ — Literally “What do these seven ewe lambs want for themselves?” Idiomatically: “What do these seven ewe lambs mean?” The reflexive sibi expresses reference or possession within the question.
Relative Clause: quas stare fecisti seorsum — Dependent on agnæ, describing the action Abraham took: “which you have set to stand apart.”

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “dixit”; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, introducing the recipient of Abimelech’s speech.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates a completed speech act introducing a direct question.
  3. Abimelech — Lemma: Abimelech; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “dixit”; Translation: “Abimelech”; Notes: The speaker addressing Abraham, continuing covenant dialogue.
  4. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “volunt”; Translation: “what”; Notes: Opens the indirect question seeking explanation of Abraham’s symbolic act.
  5. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: ethical or reflexive dative; Translation: “to themselves / to him”; Notes: Latin idiom “quid sibi vult” literally means “what does it want for itself,” meaning “what does it signify.”
  6. volunt — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, third person plural; Function: main verb of indirect question; Translation: “do they mean”; Notes: In idiom “quid sibi volunt,” expresses the sense of purpose or meaning, not literal will.
  7. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral (cardinal); Form: indeclinable; Function: numeral modifier of “agnæ”; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Numerically precise reference to the symbolic offering.
  8. agnæ — Lemma: agna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “volunt”; Translation: “ewe lambs”; Notes: Represents covenant tokens in the ritual context.
  9. istæ — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: adjective modifying “agnæ”; Translation: “these”; Notes: Deictic reference — pointing to the visible lambs Abraham set apart.
  10. quas — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of “fecisti”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause describing Abraham’s act of setting apart.
  11. stare — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with “fecisti”; Translation: “to stand”; Notes: Dependent infinitive expressing the result of Abraham’s action (“made them stand”).
  12. fecisti — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, second person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you made”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s deliberate separation of the animals.
  13. seorsum — Lemma: seorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb of separation; Function: adverbial modifier of “fecisti”; Translation: “apart / separately”; Notes: Indicates ritual or visual distinction, emphasizing the ceremonial separation of the lambs.

 

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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