Genesis 25:24

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:24 Iam tempus pariendi advenerat, et ecce gemini in utero eius reperti sunt.

Now the time for giving birth had come, and behold, twins were found in her womb.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iam now / already ADV
2 tempus time NOUN.NOM.SG.N
3 pariendi of giving birth GERUND.GEN
4 advenerat had come 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
5 et and CONJ
6 ecce behold INTERJ
7 gemini twins NOUN.NOM.PL.M
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 utero womb NOUN.ABL.SG.M
10 eius her PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.F
11 reperti were found PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.M
12 sunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Iam tempus pariendi advenerat — tempus (subject) + advenerat (verb) expresses the completion of gestation: “the time for giving birth had come.” The genitive pariendi functions as a verbal noun dependent on “tempus.”
Main Clause 2: et ecce gemini in utero eius reperti sunt — ecce introduces a dramatic discovery: gemini (subject) + reperti sunt (verb) forms a perfect passive “were found.” The prepositional phrase in utero eius marks location.

Morphology

  1. Iam — Lemma: iam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “now / already”; Notes: Indicates imminent fulfillment of time.
  2. tempus — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “time”; Notes: Governs genitive “pariendi.”
  3. pariendi — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: genitive; Function: objective genitive dependent on “tempus”; Translation: “of giving birth”; Notes: Verbal noun expressing purpose or activity associated with time.
  4. advenerat — Lemma: advenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “had come”; Notes: Perfective aspect denotes completed time.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links two main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects narrative sequence.
  6. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: deictic particle; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Marks sudden or significant event.
  7. gemini — Lemma: geminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “twins”; Notes: Refers to Esau and Jacob in the womb.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Locative use.
  9. utero — Lemma: uterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “womb”; Notes: Physical location of the twins.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “utero”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Rebecca.
  11. reperti — Lemma: reperio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “found”; Notes: Part of periphrastic passive construction.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person plural; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: Completes periphrastic perfect passive “reperti sunt.”

 

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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