Genesis 26:27

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:27 locutus est eis Isaac: Quid venistis ad me hominem quem odistis, et expulistis a vobis?

Isaac spoke to them: “Why have you come to me, a man whom you hated and drove away from you?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 locutus having spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 eis to them DAT.PL.M.PRON
4 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M (proper noun)
5 Quid why ADV/INTERROG.PRON
6 venistis have you come 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 me me ACC.SG.PRON
9 hominem a man ACC.SG.M
10 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL.PRON
11 odistis you hated 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 et and CONJ
13 expulistis you drove out 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
14 a from PREP+ABL
15 vobis you (pl.) ABL.PL.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: locutus est eis Isaac — “Isaac spoke to them.” Isaac is the subject, locutus est (perfect deponent) is the verb, and eis is the indirect object.
Direct Speech: introduced by a colon, beginning with Quid venistis ad me (“Why have you come to me”) — an interrogative clause.
The accusative hominem (“a man”) functions as an apposition to “me,” and the relative clause quem odistis et expulistis a vobis (“whom you hated and drove away from you”) modifies “hominem.”
The two perfect verbs odistis and expulistis are coordinated by et, describing past hostility.

Morphology

  1. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of compound verb; Translation: “having spoken”; Notes: Used with “est” to form perfect tense of deponent verb.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “was / has spoken”; Notes: Helps form perfect deponent construction.
  3. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Refers to Abimelech, Ochozath, and Phicol.
  4. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Speaker in the dialogue.
  5. Quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun/adverb; Form: neuter singular; Function: introduces question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Used adverbially here.
  6. venistis — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person plural; Function: main verb of question; Translation: “have you come”; Notes: Indicates completed action.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces object “me.”
  8. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Isaac himself.
  9. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “me”; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Adds descriptive emphasis.
  10. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to “hominem.”
  11. odistis — Lemma: odi; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person plural; Function: first verb of relative clause; Translation: “you hated”; Notes: Perfect form used with present meaning (“you hate”).
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two related actions of hostility.
  13. expulistis — Lemma: expello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person plural; Function: coordinated verb; Translation: “you drove away”; Notes: Refers to Abimelech’s earlier banishment of Isaac.
  14. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces source or origin.
  15. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Abimelech and his men as the agents of expulsion.

 

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.