Genesis 25:8

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 25:8 Et deficiens mortuus est in senectute bona, provectæque ætatis, et plenus dierum: congregatusque est ad populum suum.

And he died, failing in a good old age, advanced in years, and full of days; and he was gathered to his people.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 deficiens failing NOM.SG.M.PRES.PTCP
3 mortuus died NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP
4 est is 3SG.PERF.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 senectute old age ABL.SG.F
7 bona good ABL.SG.F
8 provectæque and advanced GEN.SG.F + CONJ
9 ætatis of age GEN.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 plenus full NOM.SG.M
12 dierum of days GEN.PL.M
13 congregatusque and was gathered NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP + CONJ
14 est is 3SG.PERF.IND
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 populum people ACC.SG.M
17 suum his ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: deficiens mortuus est (He died while failing) + in senectute bona, provectæ ætatis, et plenus dierum (ablative phrases of circumstance describing the state in which he died).
Second Clause: congregatusque est ad populum suum — coordinated clause expressing his gathering to his ancestors.
Phrase Functions:
– in senectute bona — ablative of condition (“in a good old age”).
– provectæ ætatis — genitive of quality (“of advanced age”).
– plenus dierum — predicate adjective with genitive complement (“full of days”).
– ad populum suum — prepositional phrase of motion indicating reunion with ancestors.
Clause Function: Typical Hebrew-style obituary formula marking a patriarch’s death, life satisfaction, and joining of ancestors.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects this clause to the previous narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential marker introducing Abraham’s death statement.
  2. deficiens — Lemma: deficio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: Circumstantial participle modifying the subject; Translation: “failing” or “passing away”; Notes: Indicates physical decline leading to death.
  3. mortuus — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: Predicate complement with est; Translation: “died”; Notes: Used periphrastically with est to form perfect tense of a deponent verb.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Perfect indicative, third person singular; Function: Completes periphrastic perfect with mortuus; Translation: “is/was”; Notes: Forms active meaning for deponent verb.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses condition or circumstance; Translation: “in”; Notes: Often introduces ablative of state or manner.
  6. senectute — Lemma: senectus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “old age”; Notes: Indicates life stage at death.
  7. bona — Lemma: bonus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies senectute; Translation: “good”; Notes: Qualifies Abraham’s long and blessed life.
  8. provectæque — Lemma: provectus + que; Part of Speech: Adjective (from participle) + Enclitic conjunction; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Modifies ætatis; Translation: “and advanced”; Notes: Describes maturity and length of years.
  9. ætatis — Lemma: ætas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Complements provectæ; Translation: “of age”; Notes: Expresses quality in genitive construction.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links plenus dierum with preceding phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Maintains rhythmic coordination typical of Latin genealogy.
  11. plenus — Lemma: plenus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective describing Abraham; Translation: “full”; Notes: Takes genitive complement dierum.
  12. dierum — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of content with plenus; Translation: “of days”; Notes: Hebrew idiom for “full of years.”
  13. congregatusque — Lemma: congrego + que; Part of Speech: Perfect participle passive + Enclitic conjunction; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate participle in the coordinated clause; Translation: “and was gathered”; Notes: Standard biblical phrase for burial or joining one’s ancestors.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Perfect indicative, third person singular; Function: Completes congregatus est; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms the perfect passive periphrasis.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the destination of reunion.
  16. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “people”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s kin and forefathers in the afterlife idiom.
  17. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies populum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates belonging — “his own people.”

 

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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