Genesis 24:14

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:14 Igitur puella, cui ego dixero: Inclina hydriam tuam ut bibam: et illa responderit, Bibe, quin et camelis tuis dabo potum: ipsa est, quam præparasti servo tuo Isaac: et per hoc intelligam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo.

Therefore the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Incline your jar that I may drink,’ and she will answer, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels to drink,’ she is the one whom you have prepared for your servant Isaac, and by this I shall know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Igitur therefore CONJ
2 puella girl NOM.SG.F
3 cui to whom DAT.SG.F.REL.PRON
4 ego I NOM.SG.PRON
5 dixero shall have said 1SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Inclina incline 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
7 hydriam jar / water vessel ACC.SG.F
8 tuam your ACC.SG.F.PRON
9 ut so that / in order that CONJ + PURPOSE
10 bibam I may drink 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 et and CONJ
12 illa she NOM.SG.F.PRON
13 responderit will have answered 3SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
14 Bibe drink 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
15 quin indeed / moreover ADV
16 et and CONJ
17 camelis to (your) camels DAT.PL.M
18 tuis your DAT.PL.M.PRON
19 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 potum to drink SUPINE.ACC
21 ipsa she herself NOM.SG.F.INTENS.PRON
22 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
23 quam whom ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
24 præparasti you have prepared 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
25 servo for the servant DAT.SG.M
26 tuo your DAT.SG.M.PRON
27 Isaac Isaac DAT.SG.M.PROPN
28 et and CONJ
29 per through / by PREP+ACC
30 hoc this ACC.SG.N.DEM
31 intelligam I shall know / understand 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
32 quod that / because CONJ
33 feceris you have done 2SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
34 misericordiam kindness / mercy ACC.SG.F
35 cum with PREP+ABL
36 domino master ABL.SG.M
37 meo my ABL.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Conditional Thought: Igitur puella cui ego dixero… ipsa est… — the sentence outlines a sign of divine confirmation. The relative clause cui ego dixero (“to whom I shall have said”) anticipates the test.
Reported Speech: Inclina hydriam tuam ut bibam — purpose clause introduced by ut with subjunctive bibam expressing intent.
Correlative Clause: et illa responderit, Bibe, quin et camelis tuis dabo potum — the future perfect responderit introduces the second condition. The adverb quin (“indeed”) strengthens generosity; dabo potum forms an idiomatic expression meaning “I will give to drink.”
Main Identification: ipsa est, quam præparasti servo tuo Isaac — the demonstrative and relative clauses identify the destined woman.
Result Clause: et per hoc intelligam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo — the prepositional phrase per hoc marks means, while intelligam introduces perception; the subjunctive feceris expresses divine action inferred from the sign.

Morphology

  1. Igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Conjunction (inferential particle); Form: Indeclinable; Function: Marks inference or transition in discourse; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Signals logical consequence from the preceding prayer.
  2. puella — Lemma: puella; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of the identifying clause; Translation: “girl / young woman”; Notes: Refers to the prospective bride revealed by a sign.
  3. cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative Singular Feminine; Function: Indirect object within the relative clause governed by the verb of speaking; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Links antecedent puella with the future-perfect clause.
  4. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular; Function: Explicit subject of the verb of speaking; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expressed for emphasis though person is marked on the verb.
  5. dixero — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Perfect Active Indicative First Person Singular; Function: Verb of the relative clause denoting completed prior speech; Translation: “I shall have said”; Notes: Future perfect anticipates the test before the response.
  6. Inclina — Lemma: inclino; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative Second Person Singular; Function: Quoted command addressed to the girl; Translation: “Incline / tilt”; Notes: Imperative of request for hospitality.
  7. hydriam — Lemma: hydria; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of the imperative; Translation: “jar / water vessel”; Notes: Greek loanword common in Vulgate well-scenes.
  8. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (pronoun); Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Attribute agreeing with hydriam; Translation: “your”; Notes: Matches case, number, and gender of its head noun.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Subordinating conjunction; Form: Particle introducing a purpose clause; Function: Marks intended result of the request; Translation: “so that / in order that”; Notes: Governs the present subjunctive.
  10. bibam — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive First Person Singular; Function: Verb of the purpose clause; Translation: “I may drink”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses the intended goal of tilting the jar.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Coordinating conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links the second condition to the first; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination of clauses.
  12. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of the second condition’s verb; Translation: “she”; Notes: Deictic reference back to the same girl.
  13. responderit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of the second protasis, indicating a response completed prior to recognition; Translation: “she will have answered”; Notes: Matches the temporal perspective of dixero.
  14. Bibe — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative Second Person Singular; Function: Quoted imperative showing immediate consent; Translation: “Drink”; Notes: Direct speech within the conditional sign.
  15. quin — Lemma: quin; Part of Speech: Adverb (intensive); Form: Indeclinable; Function: Strengthens addition to the prior command; Translation: “indeed / moreover”; Notes: Often conveys “nay rather” or “what is more.”
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Coordinating conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links the added offer with the initial permission; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connective with cumulative force.
  17. camelis — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Indirect object with verb of giving; Translation: “to (your) camels”; Notes: Marks beneficiaries of the offered drink.
  18. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (pronoun); Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Attribute agreeing with camelis; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agrees in case, number, and gender with its noun.
  19. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative First Person Singular; Function: Main verb of the quoted pledge; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Introduces the idiom with supine of purpose.
  20. potum — Lemma: potus; Part of Speech: Supine (accusative of purpose); Form: Accusative Supine; Function: Complements verbs of motion or giving to express purpose; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: Idiomatic Latin: dare potum = “to give a drink.”
  21. ipsa — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Intensive (emphatic) pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject complement emphasis with est; Translation: “she herself”; Notes: Highlights identity by divine appointment.
  22. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Indicative Active Third Person Singular; Function: Copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: “is”; Notes: Marks the conclusion of the identification.
  23. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of the following verb within the relative clause; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers back to puella as the chosen one.
  24. præparasti — Lemma: praeparo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Second Person Singular; Function: Verb of the relative clause addressed to God; Translation: “you have prepared”; Notes: Attributes providential preparation to God.
  25. servo — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object receiving the prepared spouse; Translation: “for the servant”; Notes: Refers to Isaac as the covenant heir (context clarifies).
  26. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (pronoun); Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Attribute agreeing with servo; Translation: “your”; Notes: Possession relative to God as the speaker’s addressee.
  27. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Apposition to servo tuo specifying the servant; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Retains Hebraic form; treated as Latinized proper name.
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Coordinating conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links the identification with the evidential inference; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the flow of reasoning.
  29. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Introduces means or instrument; Translation: “by / through”; Notes: Signals the sign as the medium of knowledge.
  30. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of the preposition per; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic reference to the specific sign just stated.
  31. intelligam — Lemma: intellego; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative First Person Singular (Vulgate usage with future sense of recognition); Function: Main verb of the result clause; Translation: “I shall know / understand”; Notes: Expresses certain knowledge upon fulfillment of the sign.
  32. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction (object clause marker); Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces the content clause of realization; Translation: “that”; Notes: Not a relative here but a complative conjunction.
  33. feceris — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Subjunctive Second Person Singular; Function: Verb of the subordinate content clause dependent on cognition; Translation: “you have shown / you have done”; Notes: Perfect subjunctive marking completed divine kindness inferred from the sign.
  34. misericordiam — Lemma: misericordia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of feceris in idiom “to do mercy”; Translation: “kindness / mercy”; Notes: Covenantal benevolence (Latin mirrors Hebraic idiom).
  35. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Marks association or advantage; Translation: “with / toward”; Notes: Here expresses benefaction shown toward a person.
  36. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of the preposition cum; Translation: “master”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as human master (not the divine title).
  37. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (pronoun); Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Attribute agreeing with domino; Translation: “my”; Notes: Confirms the servant’s relationship to Abraham.

 

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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