Genesis 24:20

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:20 Effundensque hydriam in canalibus, recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam: et haustam omnibus camelis dedit.

And pouring out her jar into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water, and when she had drawn it, she gave it to all the camels.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Effundensque and pouring out NOM.SG.F.PTCP.PRES.ACT + ENCLITIC
2 hydriam jar / pitcher ACC.SG.F
3 in into / onto PREP+ACC
4 canalibus troughs / channels ABL.PL.M
5 recurrit ran back 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
7 puteum well ACC.SG.M
8 ut so that / in order to SUBORD.CONJ
9 hauriret might draw 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
10 aquam water ACC.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 haustam drawn ACC.SG.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
13 omnibus to all DAT.PL.M
14 camelis camels DAT.PL.M
15 dedit gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Participial Phrase: Effundensque hydriam in canalibus — nominative participial phrase describing concurrent action; hydriam is the direct object of effundens, and in canalibus (ablative of place) expresses where the water was poured.
Main Clause 1: recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam — the perfect recurrit (“ran back”) introduces her quick return to the well; ut + subjunctive expresses purpose (“in order to draw water”).
Main Clause 2: et haustam omnibus camelis dedit — perfect tense action following completion; haustam modifies the understood aquam (“water which had been drawn”). The double dative omnibus camelis marks the beneficiaries of her kindness.

Morphology

  1. Effundensque — Lemma: effundo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle) + enclitic; Form: Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Feminine + -que; Function: Circumstantial participle modifying Rebecca; Translation: “and pouring out”; Notes: Conveys immediacy and continuity of her service.
  2. hydriam — Lemma: hydria; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of effundens; Translation: “jar / pitcher”; Notes: Greek loanword for vessel used in drawing and pouring water.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses motion into; Translation: “into / onto”; Notes: Indicates direction toward the troughs.
  4. canalibus — Lemma: canalis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of in (place where); Translation: “troughs / channels”; Notes: Refers to feeding or watering channels for livestock.
  5. recurrit — Lemma: recurro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “ran back”; Notes: Perfect aspect emphasizes her decisive and energetic action.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Marks destination of movement.
  7. puteum — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “well”; Notes: Central location of the narrative’s hospitality motif.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that / in order to”; Notes: Signals volitional purpose expressed by subjunctive.
  9. hauriret — Lemma: haurio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect Active Subjunctive Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “might draw”; Notes: Expresses intended action in dependent clause.
  10. aquam — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of hauriret; Translation: “water”; Notes: The resource being replenished for the camels.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks continuation of sequential actions.
  12. haustam — Lemma: haurio; Part of Speech: Perfect Passive Participle; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies implied noun aquam; Translation: “(water) drawn”; Notes: Denotes completed action preceding dedit.
  13. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Indirect object with dedit; Translation: “to all”; Notes: Refers collectively to all the camels.
  14. camelis — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Plural Masculine; Function: Completes indirect object phrase; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Repeated motif of hospitality and care for animals.
  15. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Marks the completion of Rebecca’s service—physical fulfillment of divine sign.

 

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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