Genesis 25:27

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:27 Quibus adultis, factus est Esau vir gnarus venandi, et homo agricola: Iacob autem vir simplex habitabat in tabernaculis.

When they grew up, Esau became a skillful man in hunting and a man of the field; but Jacob, a simple man, lived in tents.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus when / after they REL.PRON.ABL.PL.M
2 adultis had grown up PART.PERF.ACT.ABL.PL.M
3 factus became PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.M
4 est was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Esau Esau PROPN.NOM.SG.M
6 vir man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 gnarus skilled / knowledgeable ADJ.NOM.SG.M
8 venandi of hunting GERUND.GEN
9 et and CONJ
10 homo man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 agricola farmer / man of the field NOUN.NOM.SG.M
12 Iacob Jacob PROPN.NOM.SG.M
13 autem but / however CONJ
14 vir man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
15 simplex simple / plain ADJ.NOM.SG.M
16 habitabat was living / lived 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 tabernaculis tents NOUN.ABL.PL.N

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quibus adultis — ablative absolute meaning “when they had grown up,” setting the temporal stage.
Main Clause 1: factus est Esau vir gnarus venandi — Esau (subject) + factus est (verb) introduces result: “Esau became a skillful man in hunting.” The genitive venandi expresses purpose or domain.
Coordinated Clause: et homo agricola — nominative apposition, emphasizing Esau’s identity as “a man of the field.”
Main Clause 2: Iacob autem vir simplex habitabat in tabernaculis — contrasts Jacob as “a simple man” who “lived in tents.” The imperfect habitabat shows a habitual lifestyle.

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute with “adultis”; Translation: “when / after they”; Notes: Refers to Esau and Jacob as antecedents.
  2. adultis — Lemma: adolesco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect active ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “having grown up”; Notes: Marks temporal background.
  3. factus — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: verb (deponent meaning “to become”); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate; Translation: “became”; Notes: Used with “est” for perfect periphrastic.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “was”; Notes: Completes “factus est.”
  5. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: The elder son of Isaac.
  6. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “man”; Notes: Complements “factus est.”
  7. gnarus — Lemma: gnarus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “vir”; Translation: “skilled / knowledgeable”; Notes: Followed by genitive expressing field of expertise.
  8. venandi — Lemma: venor; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: genitive; Function: genitive of purpose / domain; Translation: “of hunting”; Notes: Indicates Esau’s specialization.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects apposition; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins descriptive phrases about Esau.
  10. homo — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive with “vir”; Translation: “man”; Notes: Used emphatically for identity.
  11. agricola — Lemma: agricola; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (first declension); Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “farmer / man of the field”; Notes: Contrasts Esau’s outdoor life with Jacob’s domestic one.
  12. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “habitabat”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The younger twin.
  13. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative connector; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Introduces contrast with Esau.
  14. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “man”; Notes: Describes Jacob’s nature.
  15. simplex — Lemma: simplex; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “vir”; Translation: “simple / plain / upright”; Notes: Indicates integrity and peaceable character.
  16. habitabat — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was living / lived”; Notes: Imperfect denotes ongoing action.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks Jacob’s domestic dwelling.
  18. tabernaculis — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “tents”; Notes: Symbolic of pastoral and nomadic lifestyle.

 

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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