Genesis 28:2

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:2 sed vade, et proficiscere in Mesopotamiam Syriæ, ad domum Bathuel patris matris tuæ, et accipe tibi inde uxorem de filiabus Laban avunculi tui.

but go, and depart into Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bathuel, the father of your mother, and take for yourself from there a wife from the daughters of Laban, your maternal uncle.

# Latin Gloss GRAMMAR TAG
1 sed but CONJ
2 vade go 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
3 et and CONJ
4 proficiscere depart / set out 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMP
5 in into PREP+ACC
6 Mesopotamiam Mesopotamia ACC.SG.F
7 Syriæ of Syria GEN.SG.F
8 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
9 domum house ACC.SG.F
10 Bathuel Bathuel GEN.SG.M
11 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
12 matris of the mother GEN.SG.F
13 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
14 et and CONJ
15 accipe take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
16 tibi for yourself DAT.SG.2P.PRON
17 inde from there ADV
18 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
19 de from PREP+ABL
20 filiabus daughters ABL.PL.F
21 Laban Laban GEN.SG.M
22 avunculi of uncle GEN.SG.M
23 tui your GEN.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Imperatives: sed vade, et proficiscere — Two coordinated imperatives forming a command: “But go, and depart.” The use of proficiscere (deponent) adds nuance of deliberate departure or journey.
Prepositional Phrases: in Mesopotamiam Syriæ — “into Mesopotamia of Syria,” a geographical genitive construction identifying the region of Aram-Naharaim.
Goal Clause: ad domum Bathuel patris matris tuæ — “to the house of Bathuel, the father of your mother.” The genitive chain establishes Jacob’s maternal lineage.
Secondary Command: et accipe tibi inde uxorem — “and take for yourself from there a wife,” an imperative indicating self-interest (“for yourself”) with tibi functioning as a dativus commodi.
Source Phrase: de filiabus Laban avunculi tui — “from the daughters of Laban, your maternal uncle.” The nested genitives and ablative show precise familial relationships.

Morphology

  1. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: adversative; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces contrast with the previous prohibition “Noli accipere…” turning to a positive directive.
  2. vade — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative 2nd person singular active; Function: command; Translation: “go”; Notes: Expresses motion toward action, initiating the journey of obedience.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinating; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins imperatives “vade” and “proficiscere” for rhetorical rhythm and completeness.
  4. proficiscere — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperative 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “depart / set out”; Notes: Deponent in form but active in meaning, emphasizing the personal commitment to the journey.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion into; Translation: “into”; Notes: Introduces destination phrase “in Mesopotamiam Syriæ.”
  6. Mesopotamiam — Lemma: Mesopotamia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “Mesopotamia”; Notes: Refers to the region between the Tigris and Euphrates, called Aram-Naharaim in Hebrew context.
  7. Syriæ — Lemma: Syria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of Syria”; Notes: Distinguishes the Mesopotamian region linked to Aram, emphasizing ethnic roots of Rebekah’s family.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the specific target of Jacob’s journey — “domum Bathuel.”
  9. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “house”; Notes: Symbolic in biblical Latin for both family lineage and household authority.
  10. Bathuel — Lemma: Bathuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “domum”; Translation: “of Bathuel”; Notes: Bathuel is Rebekah’s father; the genitive denotes the head of the house Jacob must visit.
  11. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying “Bathuel”; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Indicates Bathuel’s role as father in the family hierarchy.
  12. matris — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying “patris”; Translation: “of the mother”; Notes: Continues the genitive chain defining Jacob’s kinship through Rebekah.
  13. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “matris”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Establishes direct relation between Jacob and Rebekah’s lineage.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates subsequent imperative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects travel and marriage command as two parts of one instruction.
  15. accipe — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative 2nd person singular active; Function: command; Translation: “take”; Notes: Parallel to the prohibition “noli accipere” earlier — now a positive directive with proper lineage.
  16. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular second person; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: “for yourself”; Notes: Emphasizes Jacob’s personal agency and responsibility in this divine-approved union.
  17. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: expresses origin; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Refers to Bathuel’s household — the source of the wife Jacob is to take.
  18. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “accipe”; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Denotes lawful marital partner; repetition strengthens covenantal line emphasis.
  19. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Specifies origin of the wife — the daughters of Laban.
  20. filiabus — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Refers collectively to Laban’s daughters, of whom Rachel and Leah are the primary figures.
  21. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Laban”; Notes: Identifies the patriarch from whom Jacob’s wife must come; continuation of covenantal purity.
  22. avunculi — Lemma: avunculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “Laban”; Translation: “of (your) uncle”; Notes: Denotes maternal uncle — the brother of Rebekah — preserving familial ties within Abraham’s kin.
  23. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “avunculi”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Completes the genitive chain, underscoring Jacob’s family-based marriage arrangement.

 

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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