Genesis 24:32

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:32 Et introduxit eum in hospitium: ac destravit camelos, deditque paleas et fœnum, et aquam ad lavandos pedes eius, et virorum qui venerant cum eo.

And he brought him into the lodging place, and he unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who had come with him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 introduxit brought in 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 eum him ACC.SG.M 3P.PRON
4 in into PREP+ACC
5 hospitium lodging place ACC.SG.N
6 ac and CONJ
7 destravit unloaded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 camelos camels ACC.PL.M
9 deditque and gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
10 paleas straw ACC.PL.F
11 et and CONJ
12 fœnum hay ACC.SG.N
13 et and CONJ
14 aquam water ACC.SG.F
15 ad for / to PREP+GERUNDIVE
16 lavandos to wash GERUNDIVE.ACC.PL.M
17 pedes feet ACC.PL.M
18 eius his GEN.SG.M 3P.PRON
19 et and CONJ
20 virorum of the men GEN.PL.M
21 qui who NOM.PL.M REL.PRON
22 venerant had come 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
23 cum with PREP+ABL
24 eo him ABL.SG.M 3P.PRON

Syntax

Compound Narrative Sentence: This verse narrates a sequence of completed actions through a series of perfect verbs: introduxit, destravit, and deditque. Each action builds the picture of hospitality extended toward Abraham’s servant.
Clause 1: Et introduxit eum in hospitium — main clause where the subject (Laban) brings the object (eum) into a lodging place (in hospitium).
Clause 2: ac destravit camelos — coordinate clause joined by ac, narrating the unloading of the camels.
Clause 3: deditque paleas et fœnum — the -que enclitic links to the prior verb, meaning “and gave.” The objects paleas et fœnum specify the food provided for the animals.
Clause 4: et aquam ad lavandos pedes eius et virorum qui venerant cum eo — final clause expands hospitality to washing facilities for the servant (pedes eius) and his attendants (virorum qui venerant cum eo).
The syntax flows paratactically, in rhythmic coordination, highlighting completeness of ancient hospitality customs.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects sentence to preceding narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Initiates the sequence of coordinated narrative clauses.
  2. introduxit — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “brought in”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed motion into the lodging; subject is Laban.
  3. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of introduxit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Indicates motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Expresses entry direction.
  5. hospitium — Lemma: hospitium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “lodging place”; Notes: Hospitality term for guest quarters; symbol of welcome.
  6. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Stronger connective than et, marking progression.
  7. destravit — Lemma: destruo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Second narrative verb; Translation: “unloaded”; Notes: Literally “loosened down”; describes care for the camels’ burden.
  8. camelos — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object of destravit; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Highlights the travelers’ wealth and entourage.
  9. deditque — Lemma: do + -que; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Third narrative verb; Translation: “and gave”; Notes: Combines do with -que to maintain narrative continuity.
  10. paleas — Lemma: palea; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Direct object of deditque; Translation: “straw”; Notes: Common fodder; shows attention to animals’ needs.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects direct objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects paleas with fœnum.
  12. fœnum — Lemma: fœnum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Second direct object of deditque; Translation: “hay”; Notes: Fodder given to camels; practical provision.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces next clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues parataxis in the narrative.
  14. aquam — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of deditque (understood); Translation: “water”; Notes: Essential element for cleansing; hospitality motif.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Gerundive; Function: Expresses purpose; Translation: “for / to”; Notes: Introduces purpose clause with gerundive construction.
  16. lavandos — Lemma: lavo; Part of Speech: Verb (Gerundive); Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Modifies pedes expressing purpose; Translation: “to wash”; Notes: Classical gerundive of purpose construction “ad + gerundive.”
  17. pedes — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of gerundive phrase; Translation: “feet”; Notes: Symbol of rest and purification before meal or lodging.
  18. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying pedes; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the servant as honored guest.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links compound genitive phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Extends same courtesy to others.
  20. virorum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Plural Masculine; Function: Genitive of possession modifying pedes (understood); Translation: “of the men”; Notes: Indicates companions of the servant.
  21. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Subject of venerant; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause explaining which men are meant.
  22. venerant — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect Active Indicative Third Person Plural; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “had come”; Notes: Describes earlier completed arrival with the servant.
  23. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Introduces accompaniment phrase; Translation: “with”; Notes: Marks companionship.
  24. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers again to the servant of Abraham; closes hospitality scene.

 

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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