Genesis 23:5

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 23:5 Responderunt filii Heth, dicentes:

And the sons of Heth answered, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Responderunt answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 filii sons NOM.PL.M
3 Heth of Heth GEN.SG.M (INDECL. NAME)
4 dicentes saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Responderunt filii Heth — perfect active indicative expressing completed speech response. Subject filii Heth (“the sons of Heth”) is nominative plural; the genitive Heth designates lineage (“sons of Heth”).
Participial Phrase: dicentes — present active participle modifying filii, indicating simultaneous action: “while saying / saying.” This participle introduces direct discourse in the next verse.
Overall Syntax: Compact narrative formula typical of Semitic-influenced Latin syntax; combines completed speech action with ongoing discourse introduction.

Morphology

  1. Responderunt — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they answered”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed act of replying; common dialogue verb in Vulgate narrative sequences.
  2. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine plural; Function: subject of responderunt; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Denotes collective tribal or civic identity, not just biological descendants.
  3. Heth — Lemma: Heth; Part of Speech: proper noun (indeclinable Hebraism); Form: genitive singular; Function: dependent genitive modifying filii; Translation: “of Heth”; Notes: Refers to the Hittite people as descendants of their ancestor Heth; reflects Hebrew חֵת‎ (Ḥet).
  4. dicentes — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative masculine plural; Function: modifies filii; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Expresses simultaneous or attendant circumstance introducing forthcoming direct speech; standard Latin narrative participle of communication.

 

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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