Genesis 24:23

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:23 Dixitque ad eam: Cuius es filia? indica mihi: est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum?

And he said to her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there in your father’s house a place for lodging?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
3 eam her ACC.SG.F.PRON
4 Cuius whose GEN.SG.F.INTERROG.PRON
5 es are you 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 filia daughter NOM.SG.F
7 indica tell 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
9 est is there 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 domo house ABL.SG.F
12 patris of (your) father GEN.SG.M
13 tui your GEN.SG.M.POSS.PRON
14 locus place NOM.SG.M
15 ad for / toward PREP+ACC
16 manendum staying / lodging ACC.SG.N.GERUND

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque ad eam — main verb Dixit with enclitic -que linking it to the preceding narrative; introduces direct speech.
Direct Speech 1 (Question): Cuius es filia? — interrogative genitive Cuius (“whose”) modifies filia (“daughter”), predicate nominative after es.
Direct Speech 2 (Command): indica mihi — imperative indica (“tell”) with indirect object mihi (“to me”).
Direct Speech 3 (Question): est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum? — existential clause beginning with est (“is there”), subject locus, and prepositional phrase in domo patris tui indicating location. The gerund phrase ad manendum expresses purpose (“for staying”).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular + -que; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: The enclitic -que links this statement to prior narrative sequence.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates recipient of speech.
  3. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca.
  4. Cuius — Lemma: quis, quae, quid; Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying filia; Translation: “whose”; Notes: Inquires about familial origin.
  5. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Second Person Singular; Function: Linking verb; Translation: “are”; Notes: Establishes identity in direct question.
  6. filia — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Complements es in predicate relation.
  7. indica — Lemma: indico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative Second Person Singular; Function: Direct command; Translation: “tell / reveal”; Notes: Expresses urgent request for clarification.
  8. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Denotes recipient of the action indica.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb of existential question; Translation: “is there”; Notes: Begins existential inquiry about lodging.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial preposition denoting interior or within.
  11. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “house”; Notes: Ablative of place where, referring to Rebecca’s family home.
  12. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying domo; Translation: “of (your) father”; Notes: Establishes family connection.
  13. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Possessive in agreement with patris.
  14. locus — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “place”; Notes: Central noun of existential inquiry.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses purpose; Translation: “for / toward”; Notes: Used with gerund manendum to indicate purpose.
  16. manendum — Lemma: maneo; Part of Speech: Gerund (verbal noun); Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of ad (purpose); Translation: “lodging / staying”; Notes: Classical use of ad + gerund for purpose (“for the act of staying”).

 

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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