Genesis 24:4

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:4 sed ad terram et cognationem meam proficiscaris, et inde accipias uxorem filio meo Isaac.

but to my land and my kindred you shall go, and from there you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sed but CONJ
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 terram land ACC.SG.F
4 et and CONJ
5 cognationem kindred ACC.SG.F
6 meam my ACC.SG.F.PRON
7 proficiscaris you shall go 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
8 et and CONJ
9 inde from there ADV
10 accipias you shall take 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
12 filio to (my) son DAT.SG.M
13 meo my DAT.SG.M.PRON
14 Isaac Isaac DAT.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause: sed ad terram et cognationem meam proficiscaris — concessive clause contrasting with the previous prohibition, “but to my land and kindred you shall go.”
sed introduces the contrast; ad terram et cognationem meam forms a prepositional phrase marking destination; proficiscaris is a deponent verb meaning “to go forth.”
Coordinated Clause: et inde accipias uxorem filio meo Isaac — coordinated purpose or result clause, “and from there you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.”
inde functions adverbially (“from there”), and accipias is subjunctive, dependent on the preceding structure of purpose.
Together the syntax directs the servant toward Abraham’s homeland and family to find a wife for Isaac, emphasizing obedience to divine and familial boundaries.

Morphology

  1. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Introduces contrast to prior prohibition; Translation: “but”; Notes: Shifts focus from negation to positive instruction.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Marks direction or destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Used with verbs of motion.
  3. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s native country.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links terram and cognationem; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple additive coordination.
  5. cognationem — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Second object of ad; Translation: “kindred”; Notes: Refers to family or kin group.
  6. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Modifies cognationem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes Abraham’s familial origin.
  7. proficiscaris — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: Deponent Verb; Form: Present Subjunctive 2nd Person Singular; Function: Verb of the first clause; Translation: “you shall go”; Notes: Deponent form conveying reflexive or middle sense of departure.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects the two subjunctive clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continuation of instructions.
  9. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: —; Function: Adverb of place; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Refers back to “land and kindred.”
  10. accipias — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive 2nd Person Singular; Function: Verb of second clause; Translation: “you shall take”; Notes: Subjunctive expressing command or desired action.
  11. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of accipias; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Target of the verb’s action.
  12. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “for (my) son”; Notes: Recipient of the wife.
  13. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies filio; Translation: “my”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s son Isaac.
  14. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine (indeclinable in classical usage); Function: Appositive to filio meo; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Identifies the son by name, emphasizing covenant continuity.

 

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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