Genesis 21:34

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:34 Et fuit colonus terræ Palæstinorum diebus multis.

And he lived as a sojourner in the land of the Palestines for many days.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 fuit was / lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 colonus sojourner / settler NOM.SG.M
4 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F
5 Palæstinorum of the Philistines GEN.PL.M
6 diebus days ABL.PL.M
7 multis many ABL.PL.M.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Et fuit colonus terræ Palæstinorum diebus multis — The conjunction et continues the narrative. The perfect verb fuit from *sum* is used existentially, meaning “he lived” or “he was a resident.” The nominative colonus functions as predicate nominative describing Abraham’s temporary status in the region. The genitive phrase terræ Palæstinorum expresses possession (“of the land of the Philistines”), and the ablative phrase diebus multis expresses duration of time (“for many days”).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects with previous sentence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of Abraham’s life narrative after the covenant and worship scene.
  2. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was” or “lived”; Notes: The perfect tense may express a settled state—“he lived” as a resident in the land for a period of time.
  3. colonus — Lemma: colonus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative with “fuit”; Translation: “sojourner” or “settler”; Notes: Denotes one who lives in a land not his own—Abraham’s pilgrim status in Philistine territory.
  4. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “colonus”; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Indicates where Abraham’s sojourning took place.
  5. Palæstinorum — Lemma: Palæstini; Part of Speech: proper noun (plural); Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying “terræ”; Translation: “of the Philistines”; Notes: Identifies the geopolitical region of Abraham’s residence.
  6. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time duration; Translation: “days”; Notes: Indicates the temporal span of Abraham’s residence.
  7. multis — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies “diebus”; Translation: “many”; Notes: Expresses extended duration, emphasizing that Abraham’s sojourn lasted a long time within the Philistine land.

 

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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