Genesis 24:65

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:65 et ait ad puerum: Quis est ille homo qui venit per agrum in occursum nobis? Dixitque ei: Ipse est dominus meus. At illa tollens cito pallium, operuit se.

and she said to the servant: “Who is that man who is coming through the field to meet us?” And he said to her: “He is my master.” Then she, quickly taking the veil, covered herself.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 puerum servant ACC.SG.M
5 Quis who NOM.SG.M INTERROG.PRON
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 ille that NOM.SG.M DEM.PRON
8 homo man NOM.SG.M
9 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
10 venit comes 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 per through PREP+ACC
12 agrum field ACC.SG.M
13 in into / to PREP+ACC
14 occursum to meet ACC.SG.M SUPINE
15 nobis us DAT.PL.PRON
16 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
17 ei to her DAT.SG.F PRON
18 Ipse he himself NOM.SG.M EMPH.PRON
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
20 dominus master NOM.SG.M
21 meus my NOM.SG.M POSS.ADJ
22 At but / then CONJ
23 illa she NOM.SG.F DEM.PRON
24 tollens lifting / taking up NOM.SG.F PTC.PRES.ACT
25 cito quickly ADV
26 pallium veil / mantle ACC.SG.N
27 operuit covered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
28 se herself ACC.SG.F REF.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause 1: et ait ad puerum — perfect verb ait introduces direct speech; puerum is the object of ad, meaning “she said to the servant.”
Direct Question: Quis est ille homo qui venit per agrum in occursum nobis? — the interrogative pronoun quis functions as the subject, and the relative clause qui venit… describes “that man.” The prepositional phrase in occursum nobis (literally “into meeting to us”) expresses purpose of motion.
Main Clause 2: Dixitque ei: Ipse est dominus meus — the servant identifies Isaac with the emphatic pronoun Ipse and predicate dominus meus (“my master”).
Main Clause 3: At illa tollens cito pallium, operuit se — participial phrase tollens cito pallium expresses attendant circumstance (“quickly taking the veil”), followed by the main verb operuit (“covered herself”).
The syntax moves through dialogue to action, blending inquiry, recognition, and modesty into a single dramatic moment—the unveiling becomes a veiling, an act of reverent submission before her future husband.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects sentences; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates actions in sequence.
  2. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common historical narrative verb.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Indicates direction toward someone; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the indirect object.
  4. puerum — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant, speaking with respect.
  5. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Interrogative); Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the question.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links quis and homo.
  7. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Demonstrative); Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Adjective modifying homo; Translation: “that”; Notes: Deictic, pointing to Isaac at a distance.
  8. homo — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “man”; Notes: General human term, neutral tone of inquiry.
  9. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative Pronoun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of venit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Links relative clause to homo.
  10. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “comes”; Notes: Indicates progressive motion.
  11. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Indicates motion through a place; Translation: “through”; Notes: Used here with agrum to depict the field.
  12. agrum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of per; Translation: “field”; Notes: Refers to open countryside where Isaac walked.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Accusative; Function: Indicates motion toward; Translation: “into / to”; Notes: Used idiomatically with occursum to express purpose.
  14. occursum — Lemma: occursus; Part of Speech: Noun (Supine or verbal noun); Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Complement of in; Translation: “to meet”; Notes: Supine expressing purpose of motion.
  15. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative Plural; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Indicates direction of approach.
  16. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular + Enclitic -que; Function: Introduces speech continuation; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Servant’s reply.
  17. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular Feminine; Function: Indirect object of dixit; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca.
  18. Ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Emphatic); Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Adds emphasis identifying Isaac as the master.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: States identification.
  20. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “master”; Notes: Title of respect, here referring to Isaac.
  21. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (Possessive); Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of dominus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses servant’s loyalty to his master.
  22. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces contrast or new action; Translation: “then / but”; Notes: Transitions to Rebecca’s reaction.
  23. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Demonstrative); Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of operuit; Translation: “she”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca with narrative distance.
  24. tollens — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: Verb (Participle); Form: Nominative Singular Feminine Present Active Participle; Function: Circumstantial modifier; Translation: “taking up”; Notes: Conveys swift motion preceding the main verb.
  25. cito — Lemma: cito; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies tollens; Translation: “quickly”; Notes: Adds urgency and readiness.
  26. pallium — Lemma: pallium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Neuter; Function: Direct object of tollens; Translation: “veil / mantle”; Notes: Symbol of modesty or marital decorum.
  27. operuit — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative Third Person Singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “covered”; Notes: Expresses completed gesture of humility.
  28. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Pronoun (Reflexive); Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of operuit; Translation: “herself”; Notes: Reflexive pronoun referring back to illa, showing that Rebecca veiled her own person.

Notes

  • Quis est ille homo…? — The interrogative phrase combines curiosity with decorum. Rebecca’s question implies both inquiry and anticipation, as she perceives Isaac approaching before any formal introduction.
  • in occursum nobis — The use of the supine occursum with in is idiomatic Latin expressing purpose (“to meet us”), reflecting elegant classical style in the Vulgate’s narrative.
  • Ipse est dominus meus — The emphatic ipse signals recognition: “He himself is my master.” This intensifies the moment of revelation and identification between servant and master, highlighting divine providence fulfilled.
  • At illa tollens cito pallium — The participle tollens conveys swift and deliberate motion. Rebecca’s act of veiling is cultural and symbolic—an expression of humility, readiness, and modesty in the presence of her betrothed.
  • operuit se — The reflexive construction emphasizes her agency in veiling herself, not under command but by voluntary reverence. The gesture also anticipates her transition into married life within ancient custom.
  • Overall, the verse encapsulates recognition, modesty, and the culmination of divine orchestration. The servant identifies Isaac; Rebecca’s response demonstrates inner understanding and respectful decorum that completes the narrative’s symmetry of faith and fulfillment.

 

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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