Genesis 24:39

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:39 ego vero respondi domino meo: Quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier?

but I said to my master: ‘What if the woman should not be willing to come with me?’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ego I NOM.SG.1P.PRON
2 vero but / indeed ADV
3 respondi I replied / said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 domino to (the) master DAT.SG.M
5 meo my DAT.SG.M POSS.ADJ
6 Quid what NOM/ACC.SG.N INTERROG.PRON
7 si if CONJ
8 noluerit she should not be willing 3SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
9 venire to come INF.PRES.ACT
10 mecum with me PREP (cum) + ABL.SG.1P.PRON
11 mulier woman NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: ego vero respondi domino meo — perfect verb respondi (“I replied”) takes the dative indirect object domino meo (“to my master”), with the subject explicitly marked by ego for emphasis. The adverb vero adds contrast or affirmation (“indeed / but I”).
Indirect Question: Quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier — the interrogative quid si introduces a conditional indirect question. Verb noluerit (future perfect) conveys future uncertainty about the woman’s willingness. The infinitive venire expresses the potential action, with mecum as an ablative of accompaniment. Subject mulier appears at the end, typical of Latin’s flexible emphasis.
The structure reflects Abraham’s servant’s prudence and concern, forming a conditional objection within the larger covenantal dialogue.

Morphology

  1. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular; Function: Subject of respondi; Translation: “I”; Notes: Used explicitly for emphasis, contrasting speaker with previous command.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds contrast or affirmation; Translation: “but / indeed”; Notes: Common narrative connector marking response or shift.
  3. respondi — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative First Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I replied / said”; Notes: Perfect tense situates the response as completed past dialogue.
  4. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to (the) master”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, recipient of the servant’s question.
  5. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies domino; Translation: “my”; Notes: Shows possession and reverence toward Abraham.
  6. Quid — Lemma: quis / quid; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Interrogative); Form: Nominative / Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Introduces indirect question; Translation: “what”; Notes: Used idiomatically in “quid si” = “what if.”
  7. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Sets up hypothetical objection.
  8. noluerit — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of conditional clause; Translation: “she should not be willing”; Notes: Future perfect conveys potential refusal before an expected future event.
  9. venire — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with noluerit; Translation: “to come”; Notes: Expresses action objected to in the hypothetical.
  10. mecum — Lemma: cum + ego; Part of Speech: Prepositional phrase; Form: Ablative Singular; Function: Ablative of accompaniment; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Preposition encliticized to pronoun; personal and emphatic.
  11. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of noluerit; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Refers to the prospective bride; placed last for rhetorical emphasis.

 

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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