Genesis 24:38

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:38 sed ad domum patris mei perges, et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo:

but you shall go to my father’s house, and from my kindred you shall take a wife for my son;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sed but CONJ
2 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
3 domum house ACC.SG.F
4 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
5 mei my GEN.SG.M POSS.ADJ
6 perges you shall go 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 et and CONJ
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 cognatione kindred / family ABL.SG.F
10 mea my ABL.SG.F POSS.ADJ
11 accipies you shall take 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
13 filio to (the) son DAT.SG.M
14 meo my DAT.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Clause 1: sed ad domum patris mei perges — the adversative conjunction sed (“but”) introduces a contrast with the previous prohibition. The prepositional phrase ad domum patris mei expresses destination, governed by perges (“you shall go”), a future indicative functioning as a command.
Clause 2: et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo — the preposition de indicates origin or source (“from my kindred”), followed by the coordinated verb accipies (“you shall take”). The double dative filio meo again specifies the beneficiary of the action.
Both clauses mirror Hebrew narrative imperatives with the Vulgate’s characteristic future-indicative form for instructions, reflecting solemn directive tone in covenantal contexts.

Morphology

  1. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Opposes previous restriction with divine directive.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Indicates motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces goal of travel.
  3. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “house”; Notes: Common accusative of motion towards; here Abraham’s ancestral home.
  4. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive with domum; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Refers to Terah, Abraham’s father.
  5. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “my”; Notes: Denotes possession and familial link.
  6. perges — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative Second Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall go”; Notes: Future indicative with imperative sense; a command within an oath narrative.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects sequential actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins command of travel with command of marriage arrangement.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks origin of the bride’s family.
  9. cognatione — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “kindred / family”; Notes: Denotes familial clan or lineage; emphasizes kinship purity.
  10. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies cognatione; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces personal familial bond.
  11. accipies — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative Second Person Singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “you shall take”; Notes: Future indicative expressing solemn instruction.
  12. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of accipies; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Specifies the goal of the journey.
  13. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “for (the) son”; Notes: Marks recipient of the marriage arrangement (Isaac).
  14. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies filio; Translation: “my”; Notes: Echoes paternal responsibility of Abraham for Isaac’s lineage.

 

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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