Genesis 27:33

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:33 Expavit Isaac stupore vehementi: et ultra quam credi potest, admirans, ait: Quis igitur ille est qui dudum captam venationem attulit mihi, et comedi ex omnibus priusquam tu venires? benedixique ei, et erit benedictus.

Isaac trembled with very great astonishment; and beyond what can be believed, marveling, he said: “Who then is he who earlier brought to me the game he had caught, and I ate from all of it before you came? And I blessed him, and he shall be blessed.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Expavit he trembled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
3 stupore with astonishment ABL.SG.M
4 vehementi great / intense ABL.SG.M.ADJ
5 et and CONJ
6 ultra beyond PREP+ACC
7 quam than / as CONJ
8 credi to be believed PRES.PASS.INF
9 potest is able 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 admirans marveling PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
11 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 Quis who NOM.SG.M.INTERROG.PRON
13 igitur then / therefore ADV
14 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
15 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
17 dudum earlier ADV
18 captam caught ACC.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PTCP
19 venationem game / hunt ACC.SG.F
20 attulit brought 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
22 et and CONJ
23 comedi I ate 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
24 ex from PREP+ABL
25 omnibus all things ABL.PL.N
26 priusquam before CONJ
27 tu you NOM.SG.2ND.PRON
28 venires came 2SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
29 benedixique and I blessed 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
30 ei him DAT.SG.M.3RD.PRON
31 et and CONJ
32 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
33 benedictus blessed NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP

Syntax

Main Clause: Expavit Isaac stupore vehementi — “Isaac trembled with very great astonishment.” The ablative phrase stupore vehementi expresses cause or manner.
Subordinate Clause: et ultra quam credi potest, admirans, ait — “and beyond what can be believed, marveling, he said.” The phrase ultra quam credi potest functions adverbially, meaning “to an unbelievable extent.”
Direct Question: Quis igitur ille est qui dudum captam venationem attulit mihi — “Who then is he who earlier brought to me the game he had caught?” The relative clause modifies ille.
Temporal Subordinate Clause: priusquam tu venires — “before you came.” Introduces a temporal clause with subjunctive due to indirect discourse or potential nuance.
Coordinated Main Clauses: et comedi ex omnibus and benedixique ei, et erit benedictus — “and I ate from all of it, and I blessed him, and he shall be blessed.” The final clause asserts irrevocability of the blessing with future indicative.

Morphology

  1. Expavit — Lemma: expavesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he trembled”; Notes: Expresses intense fear and shock upon realizing the deception.
  2. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: The patriarch reacting to the sudden revelation.
  3. stupore — Lemma: stupor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “with astonishment”; Notes: Describes the overwhelming emotional reaction.
  4. vehementi — Lemma: vehemens; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “stupore”; Translation: “great / intense”; Notes: Emphasizes the degree of astonishment.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins emotional reaction with verbal response.
  6. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses degree beyond limit; Translation: “beyond”; Notes: Introduces comparison with the following clause.
  7. quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: “than / as”; Notes: Links comparative phrase “ultra quam credi potest.”
  8. credi — Lemma: credo; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complement of “potest”; Translation: “to be believed”; Notes: Indicates what exceeds possibility.
  9. potest — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb in comparison clause; Translation: “is able”; Notes: Completes expression “beyond belief.”
  10. admirans — Lemma: admiror; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “marveling”; Notes: Describes Isaac’s emotional state concurrent with speaking.
  11. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct quotation.
  12. Quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “who”; Notes: Begins the rhetorical question of identity.
  13. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: inferential particle; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Reflects sudden realization.
  14. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to the unidentified person who brought the food (Jacob).
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is.”
  16. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “who.”
  17. dudum — Lemma: dudum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: “earlier”; Notes: Emphasizes prior action already completed.
  18. captam — Lemma: capio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: modifies “venationem”; Translation: “caught”; Notes: Describes the captured game brought by Jacob.
  19. venationem — Lemma: venatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “game / hunt.”
  20. attulit — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “brought”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s action earlier in the narrative.
  21. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular first person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me.”
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links actions; Translation: “and.”
  23. comedi — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I ate”; Notes: Refers to Isaac consuming the meal offered by Jacob.
  24. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from.”
  25. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively); Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of “ex”; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Indicates totality of what was eaten.
  26. priusquam — Lemma: priusquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “before.”
  27. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular 2nd person; Function: subject of “venires.”
  28. venires — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 2nd person singular; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: “came”; Notes: Subjunctive marks temporal subordination with “priusquam.”
  29. benedixique — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 1st person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and I blessed”; Notes: Marks culmination of the mistaken blessing act.
  30. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the recipient of Isaac’s blessing under false identity.
  31. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects coordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins declarative clauses expressing sequence and consequence.
  32. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “will be”; Notes: Indicates irrevocable certainty of the blessing’s effect.
  33. benedictus — Lemma: benedictus; Part of Speech: adjective (from verb benedico); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “blessed”; Notes: The passive participle confirms that Jacob’s blessing cannot be undone — an emphatic theological point on divine providence and patriarchal authority.

Notes

  • Emotional Reaction: The verb expavit conveys not mere fear but profound inner trembling — a sudden shock of recognition that carries both awe and horror.
  • Irrevocability of Blessing: The final clause, et erit benedictus, demonstrates a core Hebraic concept: once a blessing is spoken with intention, it holds spiritual permanence. Isaac acknowledges divine confirmation beyond his control.
  • Syntax Nuance: The construction ultra quam credi potest reflects Latin rhetorical intensity, translating literally “beyond what is able to be believed.” It underscores the disbelief in divine providence overriding human intent.
  • Word Order: Classical Latin maintains VSO structure here for emphasis: Expavit Isaac stupore vehementi begins with the verb to highlight Isaac’s emotional eruption before identifying the subject.
  • Theological Implication: This verse mirrors the irrevocable covenantal pattern seen throughout Genesis — divine election working through human imperfection. Isaac’s trembling recognizes God’s unseen hand in 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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