Genesis 24:58

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:58 Cumque vocata venisset, sciscitati sunt: Vis ire cum homine isto? Quæ ait: Vadam.

And when she had been called and had come, they asked her: “Do you wish to go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ + ENCL.CONJ
2 vocata having been called NOM.SG.F PTC.PERF.PASS
3 venisset had come 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 sciscitati they asked / inquired 3PL.PERF.DEP.IND
5 sunt were / have 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND AUX
6 Vis do you wish 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 ire to go INF.PRES.ACT
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 homine man ABL.SG.M
10 isto this ABL.SG.M DEM.ADJ
11 Quæ who / she NOM.SG.F REL.PRON
12 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 Vadam I will go 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque vocata venisset — ablative absolute-like subordinate clause introduced by Cumque (“and when”), combining the perfect passive participle vocata (“having been called”) and the pluperfect subjunctive venisset (“had come”). It marks completed circumstances preceding the main action.
Main Clause: sciscitati sunt — perfect deponent verb meaning “they inquired.” The implied subject is Rebecca’s family. The direct question follows immediately.
Direct Question: Vis ire cum homine isto? — present indicative Vis with infinitive ire expresses inquiry of will or volition (“Do you wish to go?”). The prepositional phrase cum homine isto identifies the companion, referring to Abraham’s servant.
Response: Quæ ait: Vadam. — relative pronoun Quæ stands for “she” as the subject of ait (“said”), introducing her concise answer, Vadam (“I will go”).
This syntax is emotionally compact yet powerful: it displays Rebecca’s immediate willingness — a decisive moment revealing faith and autonomy.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction + Enclitic; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links temporal context to subsequent inquiry.
  2. vocata — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Nominative Singular Feminine Perfect Passive Participle; Function: Dependent participle with venisset; Translation: “having been called”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca being summoned for consent.
  3. venisset — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect Active Subjunctive Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had come”; Notes: Marks completed arrival preceding the questioning.
  4. sciscitati — Lemma: sciscitor; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent); Form: Perfect Deponent Indicative Third Person Plural (participle stem); Function: Main verb; Translation: “they asked / inquired”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning; conveys formal questioning.
  5. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Plural; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect deponent; Translation: “have / were”; Notes: Forms perfect tense with sciscitati.
  6. Vis — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Second Person Singular; Function: Main verb of direct question; Translation: “do you wish”; Notes: Governs infinitive ire.
  7. ire — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with Vis; Translation: “to go”; Notes: Expresses the action contemplated by the will.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Marks accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Denotes association with Abraham’s servant.
  9. homine — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s envoy.
  10. isto — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Adjective; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies homine; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates proximity or mild distance; often neutral or slightly condescending.
  11. Quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of ait; Translation: “who / she”; Notes: Acts as a narrative connector (“she said”).
  12. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb introducing speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common reporting verb in dialogue.
  13. Vadam — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Active Indicative First Person Singular; Function: Main verb of response; Translation: “I will go”; Notes: Simple, decisive future expressing voluntary commitment and faith.

 

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.