Genesis 11:29

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:29 Duxerunt autem Abram et Nachor uxores: nomen uxoris Abram, Sarai: et nomen uxoris Nachor, Melcha filia Aran patris Melchæ, et patris Ieschæ.

And Abram and Nachor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nachor’s wife was Melcha, the daughter of Aran, the father of Melcha and the father of Jescha.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Duxerunt they took (in marriage) 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / and CONJ.ADV
3 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Nachor Nachor NOM.SG.M
6 uxores wives ACC.PL.F
7 nomen name NOM.SG.N
8 uxoris of (the) wife GEN.SG.F
9 Abram of Abram GEN.SG.M
10 Sarai Sarai NOM.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 nomen name NOM.SG.N
13 uxoris of (the) wife GEN.SG.F
14 Nachor of Nachor GEN.SG.M
15 Melcha Melcha NOM.SG.F
16 filia daughter NOM.SG.F
17 Aran Aran GEN.SG.M
18 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
19 Melchæ of Melcha GEN.SG.F
20 et and CONJ
21 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
22 Ieschæ of Jescha GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Duxerunt autem Abram et Nachor uxores — compound subject Abram et Nachor with verb Duxerunt; object uxores indicates the women taken in marriage.
Nominal Clauses: nomen uxoris Abram, Sarai and nomen uxoris Nachor, Melcha are verbless equational statements (“the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai”).
Relative Phrase: filia Aran patris Melchæ et patris Ieschæ expands genealogical information, identifying Melcha as a daughter of Aran and establishing her lineage through her father.
Conjunctions: et links genealogical and descriptive elements, creating parallelism typical of ancient narrative style.

Morphology

  1. Duxerunt — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they took (wives)”; Notes: The verb “duco” in perfect tense expresses the formal act of taking wives, a conventional phrase for marriage in Latin narrative.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective particle; Translation: “however / and”; Notes: Used for continuity within genealogical listings, contrasting or extending prior information.
  3. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Patriarch later renamed Abraham, representing divine covenant lineage.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Abram and Nachor as a compound subject.
  5. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Second subject; Translation: “Nachor”; Notes: Brother of Abram, included in the genealogical parallelism.
  6. uxores — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “wives”; Notes: Indicates the object of the marriage action, plural for both patriarchs.
  7. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of clause; Translation: “name”; Notes: Introduces identification of each wife by proper name.
  8. uxoris — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) wife”; Notes: Genitival modifier of nomen, forming “the name of the wife.”
  9. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessor; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: Specifies to whom the wife belongs, a patriarchal genealogical convention.
  10. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Name of Abram’s wife before her renaming to Sarah by divine command.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces parallel clause for Nachor’s wife.
  12. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of second clause; Translation: “name”; Notes: Repeats pattern from the previous clause to maintain literary symmetry.
  13. uxoris — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) wife”; Notes: Possessive relationship repeated for Nachor’s wife.
  14. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessor; Translation: “of Nachor”; Notes: Maintains genealogical detail consistency.
  15. Melcha — Lemma: Melcha; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “Melcha”; Notes: Wife of Nachor, later grandmother of Rebekah.
  16. filia — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Apposition to Melcha; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Establishes genealogical descent.
  17. Aran — Lemma: Aran; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of Aran”; Notes: Identifies her father, linking family lines of Thare’s sons.
  18. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of relation; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Specifies kinship.
  19. Melchæ — Lemma: Melcha; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of Melcha”; Notes: Indicates paternal lineage repeating for emphasis.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Joins phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two genitive phrases describing Aran’s paternity.
  21. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Repetition for parallelism; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Emphasizes dual paternal relation.
  22. Ieschæ — Lemma: Iescha; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of Jescha”; Notes: Completes genealogical triad, showing that Aran fathered both Melcha and Jescha.

 

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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