Genesis 24:8

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:8 sin autem mulier noluerit sequi te, non teneberis iuramento: filium meum tantum ne reducas illuc.

But if the woman will not wish to follow you, you shall not be bound by the oath; only do not bring my son back there.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sin but if CONJ.COND
2 autem however CONJ
3 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
4 noluerit she will not wish 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
5 sequi to follow PRES.ACT.INF.DEP
6 te you ACC.SG.PRON
7 non not ADV
8 teneberis you shall be bound 2SG.FUT.PASS.IND
9 iuramento by the oath ABL.SG.N
10 filium son ACC.SG.M
11 meum my ACC.SG.M.PRON
12 tantum only ADV
13 ne lest / do not CONJ.NEG
14 reducas you bring back 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 illuc there ADV

Syntax

Conditional Clause: sin autem mulier noluerit sequi te — compound conditional clause; sin autem (“but if however”) introduces an exception, mulier (subject) + noluerit (future perfect) + sequi (complementary infinitive) + te (object).
Main Clause: non teneberis iuramento — main clause of condition; teneberis (future passive) + iuramento (ablative of means), “you shall not be bound by the oath.”
Independent Prohibition: filium meum tantum ne reducas illuc — independent warning clause introduced by ne (negative subjunctive command), literally “only, do not bring my son back there.”
The syntax joins divine permission and human caution: the servant is released from obligation if the woman refuses, yet must never take Isaac back to Mesopotamia.

Morphology

  1. sin — Lemma: sin; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Conditional; Function: Introduces conditional alternative; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Combination of si + ne historically, used for contrasting condition.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds nuance of continuation; Translation: “however”; Notes: Often used for mild contrastive transition.
  3. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Feminine; Function: Subject of noluerit; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Refers to the prospective wife.
  4. noluerit — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Verb of conditional protasis; Translation: “she will not wish”; Notes: Indicates prior refusal before action of main clause.
  5. sequi — Lemma: sequor; Part of Speech: Deponent Verb (Infinitive); Form: Present Infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with noluerit; Translation: “to follow”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning.
  6. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular; Function: Direct object of sequi; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s servant.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Negation; Function: Negates teneberis; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses exemption from obligation.
  8. teneberis — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future Passive Indicative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of apodosis; Translation: “you shall be bound”; Notes: Passive form emphasizes being held under oath.
  9. iuramento — Lemma: iuramentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “by the oath”; Notes: Refers to solemn covenantal oath.
  10. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct object of reducas; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Isaac.
  11. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Accusative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies filium; Translation: “my”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s son.
  12. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: —; Function: Restrictive adverb; Translation: “only”; Notes: Limits the scope of prohibition.
  13. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Negative particle governing subjunctive; Function: Introduces prohibition; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Common with subjunctive in negative commands.
  14. reducas — Lemma: reduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Subjunctive 2nd Person Singular; Function: Verb of prohibitive clause; Translation: “you bring back”; Notes: Subjunctive of command expressing strong warning.
  15. illuc — Lemma: illuc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: —; Function: Adverb of place (motion toward); Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers again to Mesopotamia, Abraham’s original land.

 

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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