Genesis 28:11

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:11 Cumque venisset ad quemdam locum, et vellet in eo requiescere post solis occubitum, tulit de lapidibus qui iacebant, et supponens capiti suo, dormivit in eodem loco.

And when he had come to a certain place and wished to rest in it after the setting of the sun, he took from the stones that were lying there, and placing one under his head, he slept in that same place.

# Latin Gloss GRAMMAR TAG
1 Cumque and when SUB.CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 venisset had come 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 quemdam a certain ACC.SG.M.INDEF.ADJ
5 locum place ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 vellet wished 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 eo it / that ABL.SG.M.DEMON.PRON
10 requiescere to rest PRES.ACT.INF
11 post after PREP+ACC
12 solis of the sun GEN.SG.M
13 occubitum setting ACC.SG.M
14 tulit he took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 de from PREP+ABL
16 lapidibus stones ABL.PL.M
17 qui which NOM.PL.M.REL.PRON
18 iacebant were lying 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND
19 et and CONJ
20 supponens placing under PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
21 capiti to the head DAT.SG.N
22 suo his DAT.SG.N.REFL.ADJ
23 dormivit he slept 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
24 in in PREP+ABL
25 eodem same ABL.SG.M.DEMON.ADJ
26 loco place ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque venisset ad quemdam locum — Introduces the scene with cumque (“and when”), combining temporal and sequential sense. The subjunctive venisset expresses anteriority to the main clause.
Purpose or Intent Clause: et vellet in eo requiescere post solis occubitum — Describes Jacob’s intent to rest after sunset; the subjunctive vellet indicates volition within the same temporal sequence.
Main Clause: tulit de lapidibus… et supponens… dormivit — The narrative sequence of three actions: taking, placing, and sleeping, each advancing the story’s rhythm.
Relative Clause: qui iacebant — Qualifies “lapidibus,” giving a vivid detail of the natural setting.
Prepositional Phrase: in eodem loco — Repetition stresses the constancy of place, foreshadowing its sacred significance.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: conjunction + enclitic; Form: invariant; Function: introduces temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links sequential narrative events, typical of Latin storytelling rhythm.
  2. venisset — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had come”; Notes: Expresses action completed prior to the main verb; part of subordinate narration style.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces direction toward the “place.”
  4. quemdam — Lemma: quidam; Part of Speech: indefinite adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “locum”; Translation: “a certain”; Notes: Suggests divine anonymity — a place not yet known to Jacob as sacred.
  5. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the unnamed location later revealed as Bethel.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects subordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues temporal sequence.
  7. vellet — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of volition; Translation: “wished”; Notes: Marks Jacob’s intent preceding rest; subjunctive reflects dependent narration.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates where Jacob intended to rest.
  9. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “it / that”; Notes: Refers back to the “place.”
  10. requiescere — Lemma: quiesco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: infinitive complement of “vellet”; Translation: “to rest”; Notes: Expresses desired purpose — to find rest after sunset.
  11. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses time after; Translation: “after”; Notes: Temporal preposition introducing the phrase “after sunset.”
  12. solis — Lemma: sol; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “occubitum”; Translation: “of the sun”; Notes: Indicates possession — “the sun’s setting.”
  13. occubitum — Lemma: occubitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “post”; Translation: “setting”; Notes: Refers to the daily descent of the sun, symbolically paralleling Jacob’s physical rest.
  14. tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he took”; Notes: Begins the primary action following the temporal setup; vivid narrative verb.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the stones Jacob selected.
  16. lapidibus — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “stones”; Notes: Natural elements available on site; later symbol of God’s presence.
  17. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “iacebant”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces descriptive relative clause modifying “lapidibus.”
  18. iacebant — Lemma: iaceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “were lying”; Notes: Indicates the natural, undisturbed state of the stones before Jacob chose one.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links participial phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the preparatory and resting actions sequentially.
  20. supponens — Lemma: suppono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies subject “Iacob”; Translation: “placing under”; Notes: Describes preparatory gesture before sleeping, showing care and intention.
  21. capiti — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: indirect object of “supponens”; Translation: “to the head”; Notes: Indicates the beneficiary or recipient of the supportive action — Jacob’s head.
  22. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: modifies “capiti”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Denotes possession and reflexivity, identifying the stone as placed under Jacob’s own head.
  23. dormivit — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he slept”; Notes: Denotes completion — the culmination of Jacob’s nightly preparation, setting stage for his dream of the ladder.
  24. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates the place of rest, identical to where he stopped.
  25. eodem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “loco”; Translation: “same”; Notes: Reinforces location continuity and divine consistency — the same place becomes holy ground.
  26. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the geographical site soon consecrated as Bethel, the “house of God.”

 

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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