Genesis 27:30

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:30 Vix Isaac sermonem impleverat: et egresso Iacob foras, venit Esau,

Isaac had scarcely finished speaking, and as Jacob went out, Esau came in,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vix scarcely ADV
2 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
3 sermonem speech / word ACC.SG.M
4 impleverat had completed 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
5 et and CONJ
6 egresso having gone out ABL.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
7 Iacob Jacob ABL.SG.M
8 foras out / outside ADV
9 venit came 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Esau Esau NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vix Isaac sermonem impleverat — “Isaac had scarcely finished speaking.” The adverb vix expresses temporal limitation, setting up an immediate sequence.
Temporal Clause (Ablative Absolute): egresso Iacob foras — “as Jacob went out.” The ablative absolute provides temporal context, functioning as “when Jacob had gone out.”
Main Clause 2: venit Esau — “Esau came.” Simple narrative perfect marking subsequent action. The juxtaposition emphasizes providential timing in the deception narrative.

Morphology

  1. Vix — Lemma: vix; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “scarcely”; Notes: Marks a narrow temporal gap between two sequential actions, highlighting dramatic immediacy.
  2. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: The patriarch and main actor of the preceding blessing scene.
  3. sermonem — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “speech / word”; Notes: Refers to the spoken blessing that Isaac has just completed.
  4. impleverat — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “had finished / had completed”; Notes: Indicates a completed past action prior to Esau’s arrival.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links two closely connected events, emphasizing swift succession.
  6. egresso — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: ablative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: Marks a completed act providing context for the main clause.
  7. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: agent within the ablative absolute; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The one departing just before Esau’s entrance, central to the narrative tension.
  8. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “out / outside”; Notes: Reinforces motion out of Isaac’s presence; common in narrative transition scenes.
  9. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “came”; Notes: Marks Esau’s immediate arrival, heightening narrative suspense.
  10. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: The returning elder son, whose entrance precipitates the revelation of Jacob’s deception.

 

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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