Genesis 24:21

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:21 Ipse autem contemplabatur eam tacitus, scire volens utrum prosperum iter suum fecisset Dominus, an non.

And he himself was watching her in silence, wanting to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ipse he himself NOM.SG.M.INTENS.PRON
2 autem however / and yet CONJ
3 contemplabatur was watching 3SG.IMPF.DEP.IND
4 eam her ACC.SG.F.PRON
5 tacitus silent / in silence NOM.SG.M.ADJ
6 scire to know PRES.ACT.INF
7 volens wanting / desiring NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PRES.ACT
8 utrum whether INTERROG.CONJ
9 prosperum prosperous ACC.SG.N.ADJ
10 iter journey ACC.SG.N
11 suum his ACC.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
12 fecisset had made 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
14 an or CONJ
15 non not ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: Ipse autem contemplabatur eam tacitus — subject Ipse emphasizes the servant himself, with the deponent verb contemplabatur (“was watching”) taking eam as its object. The adjective tacitus modifies the subject, expressing manner (“in silence”).
Subordinate Clause (Infinitive Construction): scire volens — participial phrase expressing purpose or motive (“wanting to know”).
Indirect Question: utrum prosperum iter suum fecisset Dominus, an non — subordinate clause introduced by utrum… an, presenting an indirect question with the pluperfect subjunctive fecisset (“had made”) governed by scire. Dominus is the subject (“the LORD”), iter suum is the object (“his journey”), and prosperum is predicate complement (“prosperous”).

Morphology

  1. Ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Intensive pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Emphatic subject; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Highlights the servant’s personal focus and internal reflection.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces contrast or continuation; Translation: “however / and yet”; Notes: Adds slight narrative contrast between action and reflection.
  3. contemplabatur — Lemma: contemplor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Imperfect Indicative Passive Form (active in meaning) Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was watching / was observing”; Notes: Deponent verb expressing thoughtful, attentive observation.
  4. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of contemplabatur; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca, the subject of divine testing.
  5. tacitus — Lemma: tacitus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate adjective modifying Ipse; Translation: “silent / in silence”; Notes: Indicates inner restraint and contemplation.
  6. scire — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: Verb (infinitive); Form: Present Active Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive dependent on volens; Translation: “to know”; Notes: Expresses the servant’s internal intention.
  7. volens — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: Present Active Participle; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Circumstantial participle modifying Ipse; Translation: “wanting / desiring”; Notes: Denotes internal motivation for contemplation.
  8. utrum — Lemma: utrum; Part of Speech: Interrogative conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces the first part of an indirect question; Translation: “whether”; Notes: Pairs with an to present two alternatives.
  9. prosperum — Lemma: prosper; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Predicate complement modifying iter; Translation: “prosperous”; Notes: Describes the success of the servant’s journey.
  10. iter — Lemma: iter; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of fecisset; Translation: “journey”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant’s divinely guided mission.
  11. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies iter; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to the servant himself.
  12. fecisset — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect Active Subjunctive Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of the indirect question; Translation: “had made”; Notes: Subjunctive mood reflects uncertainty within indirect speech.
  13. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of fecisset; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the divine actor in ensuring success.
  14. an — Lemma: an; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces alternative in indirect question; Translation: “or”; Notes: Completes the utrum… an construction.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates fecisset in the alternative clause; Translation: “not”; Notes: Provides the contrasting outcome: “or not.”

 

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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