Genesis 27:5

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

5 Quod cum audisset Rebecca, et ille abiisset in agrum ut iussionem patris impleret,

When Rebecca had heard this, and he had gone into the field to fulfill his father’s command,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod when / which CONJ
2 cum when CONJ
3 audisset had heard 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 Rebecca Rebecca NOM.SG.F (proper noun)
5 et and CONJ
6 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
7 abiisset had gone 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 agrum field ACC.SG.M
10 ut to / that CONJ
11 iussionem command ACC.SG.F
12 patris of (his) father GEN.SG.M
13 impleret he might fulfill 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quod cum audisset Rebecca — “When Rebecca had heard this.” The conjunction cum introduces a temporal clause with subjunctive audisset, describing prior action relative to the main narrative.
Coordinated Clause: et ille abiisset in agrum — “and he had gone into the field.” The pronoun ille refers to Esau; the verb abiisset continues the pluperfect subjunctive sequence of circumstantial narration.
Purpose Clause: ut iussionem patris impleret — “to fulfill his father’s command.” Introduced by ut with a subjunctive impleret expressing purpose. The genitive patris depends on iussionem.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “when / which”; Notes: Here functions as a connective meaning “when,” linking the sentence to the preceding context.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause with subjunctive; Translation: “when”; Notes: Marks the background situation that triggers the subsequent action of Rebecca.
  3. audisset — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had heard”; Notes: Subjunctive used in narrative to express circumstantial or causal nuance.
  4. Rebecca — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “Rebecca”; Notes: Subject of the verb “audisset.”
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two subordinate temporal events of equal narrative weight.
  6. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Esau, continuing the narrative perspective of the preceding verses.
  7. abiisset — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “had gone”; Notes: Used in temporal cum-clause sequence for completed prior action.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Expresses directional sense preceding “agrum.”
  9. agrum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “field”; Notes: Denotes the location where Esau hunts in obedience to Isaac’s order.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “to / that”; Notes: Signals intention behind Esau’s departure.
  11. iussionem — Lemma: iussio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “impleret”; Translation: “command”; Notes: Abstract noun indicating the act of being ordered.
  12. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, showing whose command is being obeyed.
  13. impleret — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he might fulfill”; Notes: Subjunctive conveys purpose and incompleted action aimed toward fulfilling Isaac’s instruction.

 

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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