Genesis 27:4

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:4 fac mihi inde pulmentum sicut velle me nosti, et affer ut comedam: et benedicat tibi anima mea antequam moriar.

make for me from there a stew, as you know I like, and bring it that I may eat; and my soul may bless you before I die.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 fac make 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 mihi for me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
3 inde from there ADV
4 pulmentum stew / dish ACC.SG.N
5 sicut as CONJ
6 velle to want PRES.ACT.INF
7 me me ACC.SG.1ST.PRON
8 nosti you know 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 affer bring 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
11 ut that CONJ
12 comedam I may eat 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 et and CONJ
14 benedicat may bless 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
15 tibi you DAT.SG.2ND.PRON
16 anima soul NOM.SG.F
17 mea my NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
18 antequam before CONJ
19 moriar I die 1SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: fac mihi inde pulmentum sicut velle me nosti — “Make for me from there a stew as you know I like.” The imperative fac governs the double object structure: mihi (indirect object) and pulmentum (direct object). The comparative clause sicut velle me nosti (“as you know I wish”) includes the infinitive velle governed by nosti.
Second Imperative: et affer ut comedam — “and bring it that I may eat.” The conjunction ut introduces a purpose clause with subjunctive comedam.
Final Clause: et benedicat tibi anima mea antequam moriar — “and my soul may bless you before I die.” Here, benedicat is subjunctive expressing purpose or desired result, anima mea the subject, and tibi the indirect object. The temporal clause antequam moriar uses the subjunctive moriar to indicate an event anticipated before death.

Morphology

  1. fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “make”; Notes: Begins a sequence of imperatives addressed by Isaac to Esau, setting up the preparation of the meal that precedes the blessing.
  2. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Denotes the beneficiary of Esau’s action, Isaac himself.
  3. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverb of origin; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Refers to the location or game from which the meal should be prepared.
  4. pulmentum — Lemma: pulmentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “stew / dish”; Notes: Refers to a seasoned meal, often used in domestic or sacrificial contexts; Isaac asks for his favored dish.
  5. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: “as”; Notes: Creates a comparison to Isaac’s known preference.
  6. velle — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to want”; Notes: Dependent on “nosti,” indicating Esau’s awareness of Isaac’s wishes.
  7. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: subject of infinitive; Translation: “me”; Notes: Accusative subject in the infinitive clause (“as you know me to wish”).
  8. nosti — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you know”; Notes: Expresses perfect knowledge of Esau regarding his father’s tastes; “know well.”
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the first command to the next imperative (“bring”), maintaining sequence and flow.
  10. affer — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “bring”; Notes: Second imperative following “fac,” advancing the preparation process to its presentation.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Marks the purpose of Esau’s action—to enable Isaac to eat.
  12. comedam — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 1st person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may eat”; Notes: Subjunctive of purpose, expressing Isaac’s desired outcome after Esau’s obedience.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects purpose clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the two subjunctive clauses “ut comedam” and “benedicat tibi anima mea,” showing sequential purpose and continuation of Isaac’s instruction.
  14. benedicat — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may bless”; Notes: Expresses Isaac’s desired intention: the act of blessing Esau as a spiritual consequence of the meal.
  15. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “you”; Notes: Marks Esau as recipient of the blessing; central focus of Isaac’s will.
  16. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “soul”; Notes: Represents Isaac’s inner spiritual life, the agent of the blessing rather than his physical self.
  17. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “anima”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Intensifies personal and emotional attachment of Isaac in the act of blessing.
  18. antequam — Lemma: antequam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “before”; Notes: Conveys a sense of urgency, showing the limited time before Isaac’s death.
  19. moriar — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive deponent 1st person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “I die”; Notes: Deponent form marks a reflexive sense; the subjunctive expresses future, anticipated death.

 

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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