Genesis 24:54

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:54 Inito convivio, vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi. Surgens autem mane, locutus est puer: Dimitte me, ut vadam ad dominum meum.

And after the banquet had begun, they ate and drank together and stayed there. But when morning came, the servant said, “Send me away, that I may go to my master.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Inito after beginning ABL.SG.N PTC.PERF.PASS
2 convivio banquet / feast ABL.SG.N
3 vescentes eating NOM.PL.M PTC.PRES.ACT
4 pariter together / equally ADV
5 et and CONJ
6 bibentes drinking NOM.PL.M PTC.PRES.ACT
7 manserunt they stayed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ibi there ADV
9 Surgens rising / having arisen NOM.SG.M PTC.PRES.ACT
10 autem but / however CONJ
11 mane in the morning ADV
12 locutus spoken NOM.SG.M PTC.PERF.DEP
13 est has / was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND AUX
14 puer servant / young man NOM.SG.M
15 Dimitte send away 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
16 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
17 ut so that CONJ
18 vadam I may go 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
19 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
20 dominum master ACC.SG.M
21 meum my ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Inito convivio — indicates temporal circumstance (“after the banquet had begun”). The participle Inito (from *ineo*) and convivio form an ablative absolute expressing prior completed action.
Coordinated Action: vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi — the participles vescentes and bibentes describe simultaneous activity (“eating and drinking together”), while manserunt completes the clause as the main verb (“they stayed there”).
Temporal Shift: Surgens autem mane — participial phrase introducing the next narrative time frame (“but rising in the morning”), linking to the next finite verb.
Main Clause 2: locutus est puer — perfect deponent construction meaning “the servant spoke.”
Subordinate Purpose Clause: Dimitte me, ut vadam ad dominum meum — imperative Dimitte governs purpose clause with ut + subjunctive (“send me away, that I may go to my master”). The genitive meum modifies dominum.
This structure elegantly transitions from hospitality to duty: after rest and feasting, the servant respectfully seeks release to fulfill his mission.

Morphology

  1. Inito — Lemma: ineo; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Ablative Singular Neuter Perfect Passive Participle; Function: Ablative absolute; Translation: “after beginning”; Notes: Describes completed initiation of the meal.
  2. convivio — Lemma: convivium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Ablative noun within absolute construction; Translation: “banquet”; Notes: Refers to communal feast typical of Near Eastern hospitality.
  3. vescentes — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent Participle); Form: Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Describes ongoing action; Translation: “eating”; Notes: Deponent with active meaning, complementary to bibentes.
  4. pariter — Lemma: pariter; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies vescentes and bibentes; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes communal participation.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinated participles; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins parallel actions.
  6. bibentes — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine; Function: Describes simultaneous activity; Translation: “drinking”; Notes: Balanced parallel with vescentes.
  7. manserunt — Lemma: maneo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they stayed”; Notes: Perfective action of dwelling or remaining.
  8. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates location of rest after the meal.
  9. Surgens — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Temporal participle; Translation: “rising”; Notes: Introduces new temporal sequence in narrative.
  10. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Contrastive conjunction; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Signals transition between night and morning events.
  11. mane — Lemma: mane; Part of Speech: Adverb (noun origin); Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal adverb; Translation: “in the morning”; Notes: Denotes early time of day.
  12. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent Participle); Form: Perfect Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate with est; Translation: “spoken”; Notes: Forms perfect tense with auxiliary est.
  13. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary in perfect construction; Translation: “has”; Notes: Supports deponent perfect.
  14. puer — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of locutus est; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers again to Abraham’s steward.
  15. Dimitte — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative Second Person Singular; Function: Main verb of request; Translation: “send away”; Notes: Polite imperative requesting release.
  16. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular First Person; Function: Direct object of Dimitte; Translation: “me”; Notes: Object of request.
  17. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Governs subjunctive verb.
  18. vadam — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive First Person Singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may go”; Notes: Expresses intended action.
  19. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Directional; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates motion toward a person.
  20. dominum — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “master”; Notes: Refers to Abraham.
  21. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies dominum; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates belonging of the speaker to his lord.

 

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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