Genesis 25:33

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:33 Ait Iacob: Iura ergo mihi. Iuravit ei Esau, et vendidit primogenita.

And Jacob said: “Swear to me, then.” Esau swore to him and sold his birthright.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Iacob Jacob PROPN.NOM.SG.M
3 Iura swear 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPV
4 ergo then / therefore ADV
5 mihi to me PRON.DAT.SG.1PERS
6 Iuravit swore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
8 Esau Esau PROPN.NOM.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 vendidit sold 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 primogenita birthright / firstborn things NOUN.ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Ait Iacob — Iacob (subject) + Ait (verb), “Jacob said.”
Direct Speech: Iura ergo mihi — imperative command, “Swear to me, then.” Iura governs dative mihi.
Main Clause 2: Iuravit ei Esau — Esau (subject) + Iuravit (verb) + ei (indirect object), “Esau swore to him.”
Coordinated Clause: et vendidit primogenita — joined by et, continuing the narrative, “and sold his birthright.”

Morphology

  1. Ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: verb of saying; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative verb introducing speech.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The speaker commanding Esau.
  3. Iura — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “swear”; Notes: Urges Esau to make a binding oath.
  4. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional adverb; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Provides logical or narrative connection.
  5. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the recipient of the oath.
  6. Iuravit — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “swore”; Notes: Expresses completed legal action.
  7. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  8. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: The elder twin, making an oath to Jacob.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential clauses.
  10. vendidit — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “sold”; Notes: Indicates formal transaction.
  11. primogenita — Lemma: primogenitum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “birthright”; Notes: Refers to the privileges of the firstborn son, now transferred to Jacob.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.