Genesis 24:50

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:50 Responderuntque Laban et Bathuel: A Domino egressus est sermo: non possumus extra placitum eius quidquam aliud loqui tecum.

And Laban and Bathuel answered: “The word has come forth from the LORD; we are not able to speak anything to you outside of His will.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Responderuntque and they answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
2 Laban Laban NOM.SG.M PROPN
3 et and CONJ
4 Bathuel Bathuel NOM.SG.M PROPN
5 A from PREP+ABL
6 Domino the LORD ABL.SG.M
7 egressus has gone forth NOM.SG.M PTC.PERF.PASS
8 est is / has been 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND AUX
9 sermo word / message NOM.SG.M
10 non not ADV
11 possumus we are able 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
12 extra outside PREP+ACC
13 placitum will / decision ACC.SG.N
14 eius His GEN.SG.M PRON
15 quidquam anything ACC.SG.N INDEF.PRON
16 aliud else / other ACC.SG.N ADJ
17 loqui to speak INF.PRES.ACT
18 tecum with you PREP (cum) + ABL.SG.2P.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Responderuntque Laban et Bathuel — compound subject joined by et (“Laban and Bathuel”), with the perfect verb Responderunt narrating their immediate response; the enclitic -que connects with the previous context.
Quoted Speech: A Domino egressus est sermo — passive-perfect construction meaning “the word has gone forth from the LORD.” The prepositional phrase A Domino identifies divine origin, and sermo serves as subject.
Secondary Clause: non possumus extra placitum eius quidquam aliud loqui tecum — negative declaration expressing submission to divine will. The infinitive loqui depends on possumus (“we are able”), forming a complementary infinitive. The phrase extra placitum eius means “outside His decision/will,” while quidquam aliud reinforces total exclusion (“anything else”).
Together, the syntax portrays reverent obedience: Laban and Bathuel acknowledge that the proposal comes directly from divine decree, leaving no room for negotiation.

Morphology

  1. Responderuntque — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Plural + Enclitic -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and they answered”; Notes: Perfect tense emphasizes immediate response; -que joins narrative flow.
  2. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of Responderunt; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Elder brother of Rebecca, spokesman of the household.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinate subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds Bathuel to the response.
  4. Bathuel — Lemma: Bathuel; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of Responderunt; Translation: “Bathuel”; Notes: Father of Rebecca, joint authority in the decision.
  5. A — Lemma: a / ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Denotes source or agency; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks divine agency.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of A; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, not a human master.
  7. egressus — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent Participle); Form: Perfect Passive Participle Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate with est; Translation: “has gone forth”; Notes: Indicates completed divine utterance.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary in periphrastic construction; Translation: “is / has been”; Notes: Forms perfect passive sense.
  9. sermo — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of egressus est; Translation: “word / message”; Notes: Divine decree or revelation.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negation of possumus; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses impossibility or moral restraint.
  11. possumus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative First Person Plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “we are able”; Notes: Governs complementary infinitive loqui.
  12. extra — Lemma: extra; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses exclusion; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Denotes limitation beyond divine will.
  13. placitum — Lemma: placitum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of extra; Translation: “will / decree”; Notes: Theological term for divine approval or decision.
  14. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “His”; Notes: Refers to the LORD (Dominus).
  15. quidquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Indefinite); Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of loqui; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Used in negative clause for “anything at all.”
  16. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: Adjective / Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Adjectival modifier of quidquam; Translation: “else”; Notes: Emphasizes exclusivity of divine word.
  17. loqui — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent); Form: Present Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with possumus; Translation: “to speak”; Notes: Deponent with active meaning.
  18. tecum — Lemma: cum + tu; Part of Speech: Prepositional phrase; Form: Ablative Singular Second Person Pronoun; Function: Denotes association; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Preposition encliticized to pronoun; polite direct address.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.