Genesis 27:32

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:32 Dixitque illi Isaac: Quis enim es tu? Qui respondit: Ego sum filius tuus primogenitus Esau.

And Isaac said to him: “Who then are you?” And he replied: “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 illi to him DAT.SG.M.3RD.PRON
3 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
4 Quis who NOM.SG.M.INTERROG.PRON
5 enim then / indeed ADV
6 es are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 tu you NOM.SG.2ND.PRON
8 Qui and he who / he NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
9 respondit replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Ego I NOM.SG.1ST.PRON
11 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 filius son NOM.SG.M
13 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
14 primogenitus firstborn NOM.SG.M.ADJ
15 Esau Esau NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Dixitque illi Isaac — “And Isaac said to him.” The verb dixitque links by enclitic -que, continuing narrative flow.
Direct Question: Quis enim es tu? — “Who then are you?” The pronoun quis is nominative subject; es is the copula; enim adds tone of surprise or emphasis.
Main Clause 2: Qui respondit — “And he replied.” The relative pronoun qui serves as a connective (“and he”).
Direct Statement: Ego sum filius tuus primogenitus Esau — “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” A simple copular clause affirming Esau’s identity, laden with irony given the prior deception.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Narrative continuation; the perfect aspect marks completed speech event.
  2. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Esau as the recipient of Isaac’s question.
  3. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Speaker of the line, still unaware of the prior deception.
  4. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “es”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces direct question of identity.
  5. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb / conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: adds emphasis or mild astonishment; Translation: “then / indeed”; Notes: Heightens Isaac’s surprise upon hearing Esau’s voice.
  6. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links pronoun “tu” with predicate nominative implied by “quis.”
  7. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular 2nd person; Function: subject; Translation: “you”; Notes: Intensifies the personal address of Isaac’s inquiry.
  8. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: connective pronoun (“and he”); Translation: “and he”; Notes: Common narrative device linking speech to response.
  9. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “replied”; Notes: Standard verb introducing reported dialogue.
  10. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular 1st person; Function: subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Marks self-identification of Esau in direct discourse.
  11. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 1st person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “am”; Notes: Links Esau’s self-identification predicate.
  12. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “son”; Notes: The core of Esau’s self-assertion of relationship.
  13. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “filius”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Stresses filial relation, implying legitimacy of claim.
  14. primogenitus — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective / noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “filius tuus”; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: Highlights birthright theme central to Genesis narrative.
  15. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to “primogenitus”; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Identifies speaker explicitly, completing the tragic recognition scene.

 

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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