Genesis 25:28

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:28 Isaac amabat Esau, eo quod de venationibus illius vesceretur: et Rebecca diligebat Iacob.

Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his hunting, but Rebecca loved Jacob.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Isaac Isaac PROPN.NOM.SG.M
2 amabat loved 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
3 Esau Esau PROPN.ACC.SG.M
4 eo because / on account of PRON.ABL.SG.N
5 quod that / because CONJ
6 de from / of PREP+ABL
7 venationibus huntings / game NOUN.ABL.PL.F
8 illius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
9 vesceretur he ate 3SG.IMPERF.DEP.SUBJ
10 et and / but CONJ
11 Rebecca Rebecca PROPN.NOM.SG.F
12 diligebat loved 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
13 Iacob Jacob PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Isaac amabat Esau — Isaac (subject) + amabat (verb) + Esau (object), “Isaac loved Esau.”
Causal Clause: eo quod de venationibus illius vesceretur — “because he ate of his hunting,” introduced by eo quod, expressing reason. vesceretur (deponent subjunctive) depends on eo quod.
Main Clause 2: et Rebecca diligebat Iacob — simple parallel structure, “and Rebecca loved Jacob,” contrasting parental affection.

Morphology

  1. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Patriarch, father of Esau and Jacob.
  2. amabat — Lemma: amo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “loved”; Notes: Imperfect indicates habitual affection.
  3. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: The elder son favored by Isaac.
  4. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: correlative part of “eo quod”; Translation: “because / for this reason”; Notes: Introduces causal clause with “quod.”
  5. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Dependent on “eo.”
  6. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “of / from”; Notes: Governs “venationibus.”
  7. venationibus — Lemma: venatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “huntings / game”; Notes: Refers to Esau’s hunted food.
  8. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Esau.
  9. vesceretur — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: “he ate”; Notes: Deponent taking ablative object (“venationibus”).
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins contrasting clause; Translation: “and / but”; Notes: Links parallel statement about Rebecca.
  11. Rebecca — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Wife of Isaac, mother of Esau and Jacob.
  12. diligebat — Lemma: diligo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “loved”; Notes: Denotes steady and affectionate love.
  13. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The younger son favored by Rebecca.

 

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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