Genesis 25:34

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:34 Et sic accepto pane et lentis edulio, comedit, et bibit, et abiit; parvipendens quod primogenita vendidisset.

And thus, having received bread and the lentil stew, he ate, and drank, and went away, despising that he had sold his birthright.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 sic thus / so ADV
3 accepto having received PART.PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.M
4 pane bread NOUN.ABL.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 lentis of lentils NOUN.GEN.SG.F
7 edulio dish / stew NOUN.ABL.SG.N
8 comedit he ate 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 bibit he drank 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 et and CONJ
12 abiit he went away 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 parvipendens despising PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
14 quod that / because CONJ
15 primogenita birthright / firstborn things NOUN.ACC.PL.N
16 vendidisset he had sold 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Et sic accepto pane et lentis edulio, comedit, et bibit, et abiit — describes Esau’s sequential actions: “And thus, having received bread and the lentil stew, he ate, and drank, and went away.” The ablative absolute accepto pane et lentis edulio sets the condition for the main verbs.
Subordinate Clause: parvipendens quod primogenita vendidisset — a participial phrase meaning “despising that he had sold his birthright,” expressing Esau’s attitude toward his earlier action.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links narrative sequence.
  2. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Indicates result or manner.
  3. accepto — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive ablative singular masculine; Function: in ablative absolute; Translation: “having received”; Notes: Refers to Esau’s acceptance of food.
  4. pane — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Food item received by Esau.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins nouns in the ablative absolute.
  6. lentis — Lemma: lens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description; Translation: “of lentils”; Notes: Describes the stew ingredient.
  7. edulio — Lemma: edulium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “dish / stew”; Notes: The lentil dish Jacob prepared.
  8. comedit — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he ate”; Notes: First of three coordinated actions.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links actions in sequence.
  10. bibit — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he drank”; Notes: Second in sequence of actions.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues sequential pattern.
  12. abiit — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he went away”; Notes: Concludes Esau’s actions.
  13. parvipendens — Lemma: parvipendo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “despising”; Notes: Expresses Esau’s disregard for the birthright.
  14. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Introduces content clause.
  15. primogenita — Lemma: primogenitum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of “vendidisset”; Translation: “birthright”; Notes: The privileges Esau sold.
  16. vendidisset — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “he had sold”; Notes: Marks the completed prior act despised by Esau.

 

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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