Exodus 6:14

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 6:14 Isti sunt principes domorum per familias suas. Filii Ruben primogeniti Israelis: Henoch et Phallu, Hesron et Charmi.

These are the chiefs of the houses according to their families. The sons of Ruben, the firstborn of Israel: Henoch and Phallu, Hesron and Charmi.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Isti these NOM.PL.M.DEM
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 principes chiefs NOM.PL.M
4 domorum of the houses GEN.PL.F
5 per according to PREP+ACC
6 familias families ACC.PL.F
7 suas their ACC.PL.F.POSS
8 Filii sons NOM.PL.M
9 Ruben Reuben GEN.SG.M (INDECL.)
10 primogeniti firstborn GEN.SG.M
11 Israelis of Israel GEN.SG.M
12 Henoch Henoch NOM.SG.M (NAME)
13 et and CONJ
14 Phallu Phallu NOM.SG.M (NAME)
15 Hesron Hezron NOM.SG.M (NAME)
16 et and CONJ
17 Charmi Charmi NOM.SG.M (NAME)

Syntax

First sentence: Isti sunt principes domorum per familias suas — demonstrative subject (Isti) + copula + predicate nominative (principes). domorum is a genitive of belonging; per familias suas expresses classificatory division.
Second sentence: Filii Ruben primogeniti Israelis — appositive genitive construction identifying lineage.
List of sons: Henoch et Phallu, Hesron et Charmi — coordinated nominatives.

Morphology

  1. Isti — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: these; Notes: points to individuals previously referenced or about to be listed.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: are; Notes: links subject and predicate.
  3. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: chiefs; Notes: denotes tribal rulers.
  4. domorum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: genitive of belonging; Translation: of the houses; Notes: “houses” = clan subdivisions.
  5. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: distributive relation; Translation: according to; Notes: divides classification.
  6. familias — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of per; Translation: families; Notes: subunits of tribes.
  7. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies familias; Translation: their; Notes: reflexive, referring back to the chiefs.
  8. Filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of implied “sunt”; Translation: sons; Notes: introduces genealogical listing.
  9. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: genitive of parentage; Translation: of Reuben; Notes: firstborn tribe.
  10. primogeniti — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies Ruben; Translation: firstborn; Notes: emphasizes Reuben’s precedence.
  11. Israelis — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies primogeniti; Translation: of Israel; Notes: identifies patriarch.
  12. Henoch — Lemma: Henoch; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: member of genealogical list; Translation: Henoch; Notes: first son of Reuben.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins list items; Translation: and; Notes: simple linkage.
  14. Phallu — Lemma: Phallu; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: second name; Translation: Phallu; Notes: son of Reuben.
  15. Hesron — Lemma: Hesron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: third name; Translation: Hesron; Notes: genealogical member.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins final entry; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  17. Charmi — Lemma: Charmi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: fourth name listed; Translation: Charmi; Notes: completes enumeration.

 

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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