Genesis 22:24

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:24 Concubina vero illius, nomine Roma, peperit Tabee, et Gaham, et Tahas, et Maacha.

But his concubine, named Roma, bore Tabee, and Gaham, and Tahas, and Maacha.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Concubina concubine NOM.SG.F
2 vero but / however CONJ.ADV
3 illius of him / his PRON.GEN.SG.M
4 nomine by name ABL.SG.N
5 Roma Reumah NOM.SG.F
6 peperit bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 Tabee Tebah ACC.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 Gaham Gaham ACC.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 Tahas Tahash ACC.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 Maacha Maacah ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Concubina vero illius, nomine Roma, peperit Tabee, et Gaham, et Tahas, et Maacha — the subject is Concubina illius (“his concubine”), with the appositive phrase nomine Roma (“named Reumah”) identifying her by name.
The verb peperit governs four coordinated accusative objects (Tabee, Gaham, Tahas, Maacha), joined by multiple et’s in a typical genealogical polysyndeton.
Discourse Function: The conjunction vero introduces contrast with Milcah’s children from the preceding verse, distinguishing those of the concubine.
Overall Syntax: The sentence balances two familial lines—Milcah’s legitimate offspring and Reumah’s concubinary descendants of Nahor.

Morphology

  1. Concubina — Lemma: concubina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of peperit; Translation: “concubine”; Notes: Indicates secondary wife or consort.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Sets the clause in contrast to the previous lineage.
  3. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: genitive of possession modifying concubina; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Nahor.
  4. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: ablative of specification; Translation: “by name”; Notes: Used in ablative of quality to introduce name identification.
  5. Roma — Lemma: Roma (Reuma); Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: in apposition with concubina; Translation: “Reumah”; Notes: Name of Nahor’s concubine, variant of Hebrew רְאוּמָה (Reʾumah).
  6. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “bore”; Notes: Describes the act of childbirth, governing four direct objects.
  7. Tabee — Lemma: Tabee; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: first direct object of peperit; Translation: “Tebah”; Notes: Son of Reumah.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinate nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis (polysyndeton).
  9. Gaham — Lemma: Gaham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: second direct object of peperit; Translation: “Gaham”; Notes: Second son of Reumah.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links third direct object; Translation: “and.”
  11. Tahas — Lemma: Tahas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: third direct object of peperit; Translation: “Tahash”; Notes: Possibly ancestor of Arabian tribes.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins final element; Translation: “and.”
  13. Maacha — Lemma: Maacha; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: fourth direct object of peperit; Translation: “Maacah”; Notes: Final child listed, completing Reumah’s offspring.

 

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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