Genesis 24:22

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:22 Postquam autem biberunt cameli, protulit vir inaures aureas, appendentes siclos duos, et armillas totidem pondo siclorum decem.

And after the camels had drunk, the man brought out golden earrings weighing two shekels, and bracelets of the same number weighing ten shekels.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Postquam after SUBORD.CONJ
2 autem however / and then CONJ
3 biberunt had drunk 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 cameli camels NOM.PL.M
5 pro tulit brought forth 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 vir man NOM.SG.M
7 inaures earrings ACC.PL.F
8 aureas golden ACC.PL.F.ADJ
9 appendentes weighing / hanging ACC.PL.F.PTCP.PRES.ACT
10 siclos shekels ACC.PL.M
11 duos two ACC.PL.M.NUM
12 et and CONJ
13 armillas bracelets ACC.PL.F
14 totidem the same number / as many INDECL.NUM.ADV
15 pondo weighing / in weight ABL.SG.N.ADV
16 siclorum of shekels GEN.PL.M
17 decem ten INDECL.NUM

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Postquam autem biberunt cameli — introduced by postquam (“after”), this clause uses the perfect indicative biberunt to indicate a completed action preceding the main clause. Subject: cameli.
Main Clause: protulit vir inaures aureas… — the verb protulit governs two direct objects: inaures aureas (“golden earrings”) and armillas (“bracelets”), each with descriptive phrases indicating weight.
Descriptive Phrases: appendentes siclos duos modifies inaures (participle functioning adjectivally), while totidem pondo siclorum decem modifies armillas with ablative of measure or weight.

Morphology

  1. Postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “after”; Notes: Common marker of temporal sequence with perfect indicative verb.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional; Translation: “however / and then”; Notes: Serves as narrative connector without adversative force.
  3. biberunt — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Plural; Function: Verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: “had drunk”; Notes: Refers to completion of drinking by the camels.
  4. cameli — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Subject of biberunt; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes divine confirmation through fulfilled sign.
  5. protulit — Lemma: profero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “brought forth”; Notes: Indicates decisive action—presentation of gifts.
  6. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of protulit; Translation: “the man”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant.
  7. inaures — Lemma: inauris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Direct object of protulit; Translation: “earrings”; Notes: Often symbols of betrothal or divine favor.
  8. aureas — Lemma: aureus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Modifies inaures; Translation: “golden”; Notes: Emphasizes value and purity.
  9. appendentes — Lemma: appendo; Part of Speech: Present Active Participle; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Modifies inaures; Translation: “weighing / hanging”; Notes: Denotes measurement or balance in weight; participle as descriptor.
  10. siclos — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Object of appendentes; Translation: “shekels”; Notes: Hebrew loanword for unit of weight, approx. 11 grams.
  11. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Numerical modifier of siclos; Translation: “two”; Notes: Agrees in gender and case with siclos.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links second gift item with first.
  13. armillas — Lemma: armilla; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Feminine; Function: Direct object of protulit; Translation: “bracelets”; Notes: Traditional adornments symbolizing betrothal or covenant.
  14. totidem — Lemma: totidem; Part of Speech: Indeclinable numeral adverb; Form: —; Function: Modifies armillas; Translation: “the same number / as many”; Notes: Correlates numerically with duos.
  15. pondo — Lemma: pondo; Part of Speech: Adverbial noun (ablative of weight); Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Ablative of measure; Translation: “weighing / in weight”; Notes: Classical idiom for expressing weight or measure (literally “by weight”).
  16. siclorum — Lemma: siclus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Plural Masculine; Function: Genitive of measure depending on pondo; Translation: “of shekels”; Notes: Indicates the unit of measure by which the bracelets’ weight is reckoned.
  17. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Numerical modifier of siclorum; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Specifies total weight; numerical precision adds ceremonial solemnity.

 

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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