Genesis 24:29

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

29 Habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban, qui festinus egressus est ad hominem, ubi erat fons.

Now Rebecca had a brother named Laban, who in haste went out to the man, where the spring was.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Habebat had 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / now CONJ
3 Rebecca Rebecca NOM.SG.F
4 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
5 nomine by name ABL.SG.N
6 Laban Laban ABL.SG.M (indecl.)
7 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
8 festinus in haste NOM.SG.M ADJ (used adverbially)
9 egressus having gone out NOM.SG.M PTCP.PERF.DEP
10 est is / was 3SG.PERF.IND (AUX)
11 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
12 hominem man ACC.SG.M
13 ubi where REL.ADV
14 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
15 fons spring / well NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban — Rebecca is the subject, Habebat the imperfect verb expressing continuous past possession, and fratrem the direct object. The ablative phrase nomine Laban (lit. “by name Laban”) is an ablative of specification clarifying the brother’s name.
Relative Clause: qui festinus egressus est ad hominem ubi erat fons — the relative pronoun qui refers to fratrem; festinus is an adjective modifying the subject (“hurried”); egressus est is a perfect deponent verb meaning “went out”; ad hominem shows direction; ubi erat fons adds a locative clause describing the well’s location.
The syntax highlights energetic movement and situational precision typical of biblical narrative.

Morphology

  1. Habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “had”; Notes: Imperfect denotes a continuous or background state in narration—Rebecca possessed a brother at this time.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional conjunction; Translation: “now / however”; Notes: Introduces new narrative detail, soft contrast or continuation marker common in Vulgate prose.
  3. Rebecca — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of Habebat; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Hebrew name רִבְקָה transliterated into Latin; subject of both clauses.
  4. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of Habebat; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Indicates kinship relationship central to following action.
  5. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Ablative of specification; Translation: “by name”; Notes: Common Latin idiom for introducing someone’s name.
  6. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Indeclinable (treated as Ablative here); Function: Complements nomine; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Brother of Rebecca, soon an active participant in the narrative; Semitic name means “white.”
  7. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of egressus est; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to fratrem; introduces subordinate clause describing Laban’s response.
  8. festinus — Lemma: festinus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate adjective modifying qui; Translation: “in haste / quick”; Notes: Used adverbially to depict Laban’s eagerness or urgency; Semitic influence reflected in narrative immediacy.
  9. egressus — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent); Form: Perfect Participle Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Participle forming periphrastic perfect with est; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: Deponent verb uses passive form with active sense; marks completed action of exiting.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Indicative Third Person Singular (auxiliary); Function: Completes periphrastic construction egressus est; Translation: “went out”; Notes: Forms perfect tense with participle; deponent conjugation pattern.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Marks goal of motion; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Expresses direction of movement toward the man by the spring.
  12. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant awaiting by the well.
  13. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: Relative adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces subordinate clause of place; Translation: “where”; Notes: Locative connector introducing setting of the spring.
  14. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Continuous state verb describing existence of the spring; background setting.
  15. fons — Lemma: fons; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of erat; Translation: “spring / well”; Notes: Central narrative location of encounter, symbolic of life and providence in Genesis tradition.

 

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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