Genesis 26:35

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:35 quæ ambæ offenderant animum Isaac et Rebeccæ.

both of whom had offended the mind of Isaac and Rebecca.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quæ who / which NOM.PL.F.REL.PRON
2 ambæ both NOM.PL.F
3 offenderant had offended 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
4 animum mind ACC.SG.M
5 Isaac of Isaac GEN.SG.M (proper noun)
6 et and CONJ
7 Rebeccæ of Rebecca GEN.SG.F (proper noun)

Syntax

Main Clause: quæ ambæ offenderant animum Isaac et Rebeccæ — “Both of whom had offended the mind of Isaac and Rebecca.”
The relative pronoun quæ introduces a clause referring back to Esau’s two wives (Judith and Basemath). The adjective ambæ emphasizes duality (“both”). The verb offenderant expresses completed past action (pluperfect). The direct object animum is singular, a collective reference to the sentiments or disposition of both parents. The genitives Isaac and Rebeccæ modify animum, expressing possession.

Morphology

  1. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: “who / which”; Notes: Refers to the two wives of Esau.
  2. ambæ — Lemma: ambo; Part of Speech: adjective (numeral); Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies “quæ”; Translation: “both”; Notes: Denotes precisely two persons acting together.
  3. offenderant — Lemma: offendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “had offended”; Notes: Indicates completed past action before another event in the narrative.
  4. animum — Lemma: animus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “mind / heart”; Notes: Singular for collective sense, referring to the feelings of both parents.
  5. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of Isaac”; Notes: Identifies the first offended parent.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects genitives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the two possessive genitives.
  7. Rebeccæ — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of Rebecca”; Notes: Completes the reference to both parents who disapproved of Esau’s Hittite wives.

 

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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