Genesis 24:63

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:63 et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro, inclinata iam die: cumque elevasset oculos, vidit camelos venientes procul.

and he had gone out to meditate in the field when the day was now declining; and when he lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming from afar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 egressus having gone out NOM.SG.M PTC.PERF.DEP
3 fuerat had been / had gone 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND AUX
4 ad to / for PREP+ACC
5 meditandum to meditate GERUND.ACC.SG
6 in in / on PREP+ABL
7 agro field ABL.SG.M
8 inclinata having declined ABL.SG.F PTC.PERF.PASS
9 iam already / now ADV
10 die day ABL.SG.F
11 cumque and when CONJ+ENCL.CONJ
12 elevasset had lifted up 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
13 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
14 vidit saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 camelos camels ACC.PL.M
16 venientes coming ACC.PL.M PTC.PRES.ACT
17 procul from afar ADV

Syntax

Temporal Circumstance: et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro — pluperfect fuerat combined with perfect participle egressus forms a periphrastic pluperfect (“he had gone out”). The infinitive phrase ad meditandum expresses purpose (“to meditate”), while in agro locates the scene in the open field.
Temporal Ablative Absolute: inclinata iam die — ablative absolute meaning “when the day had now declined,” setting the evening context.
Temporal Clause: cumque elevasset oculos — pluperfect subjunctive after cum conveys anterior action (“when he had lifted up his eyes”).
Main Clause: vidit camelos venientes procul — perfect indicative vidit denotes momentary perception, followed by object camelos and participial phrase venientes procul describing the camels’ distant approach.
The sentence is vivid, unfolding Isaac’s contemplative solitude interrupted by the arrival of Rebecca’s caravan—a quiet prelude to divine encounter.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects with previous sentence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continuation of narrative flow.
  2. egressus — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (Deponent Participle); Form: Nominative Singular Masculine Perfect Deponent Participle; Function: Subject of fuerat; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: Indicates prior completed motion.
  3. fuerat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: Pluperfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Auxiliary with egressus; Translation: “had been / had gone”; Notes: Forms pluperfect of deponent construction.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Expresses purpose; Translation: “to / for”; Notes: Introduces gerund of purpose.
  5. meditandum — Lemma: meditor; Part of Speech: Verb (Gerund); Form: Accusative Singular; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “to meditate”; Notes: Deponent form expressing reflective action.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Locative preposition setting the place of meditation.
  7. agro — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “field”; Notes: Open countryside—symbol of solitude and communion.
  8. inclinata — Lemma: inclino; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Ablative Singular Feminine Perfect Passive Participle; Function: Ablative absolute with die; Translation: “having declined”; Notes: Refers to sunset or late afternoon.
  9. iam — Lemma: iam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: “now / already”; Notes: Intensifies sense of time progression.
  10. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Feminine; Function: Object in ablative absolute; Translation: “day”; Notes: Indicates the time nearing evening.
  11. cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction + Enclitic; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Adds sequential connection.
  12. elevasset — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect Active Subjunctive Third Person Singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had lifted up”; Notes: Denotes action preceding perception.
  13. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object of elevasset; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Idiomatic Latin for “looked up.”
  14. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “saw”; Notes: Marks decisive moment of recognition.
  15. camelos — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Plural Masculine; Function: Direct object of vidit; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Visual detail emphasizing the caravan’s arrival.
  16. venientes — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Accusative Plural Masculine Present Active Participle; Function: Adjectival modifier of camelos; Translation: “coming”; Notes: Adds continuous motion from a distance.
  17. procul — Lemma: procul; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies venientes; Translation: “from afar”; Notes: Creates spatial perspective in the scene.

 

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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