Genesis 28:5

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:5 Cumque dimisisset eum Isaac, profectus venit in Mesopotamiam Syriæ ad Laban filium Bathuel Syri, fratrem Rebeccæ matris suæ.

And when Isaac had sent him away, he departed and went into Mesopotamia of Syria, to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, his mother.

# Latin Gloss GRAMMAR TAG
1 Cumque and when SUB.CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 dimisisset had sent away 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
4 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
5 profectus having departed PERF.DEP.PART.NOM.SG.M
6 venit he came / went 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 Mesopotamiam Mesopotamia ACC.SG.F
9 Syriæ of Syria GEN.SG.F
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 Laban Laban ACC.SG.M
12 filium son ACC.SG.M
13 Bathuel Bathuel GEN.SG.M
14 Syri the Syrian GEN.SG.M
15 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
16 Rebeccæ of Rebekah GEN.SG.F
17 matris of mother GEN.SG.F
18 suæ his GEN.SG.F.REFL.ADJ

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque dimisisset eum Isaac — Introduced by cumque, combining cum (“when”) and the enclitic -que (“and”), it forms a temporal subordinate clause: “And when Isaac had sent him away.” The subjunctive dimisisset expresses prior action relative to the main verb.
Main Clause: profectus venit — “he departed and came,” a common Latin idiom combining a perfect participle of a deponent verb (profectus) with the main verb venit, describing completion of departure and arrival.
Prepositional Phrase: in Mesopotamiam Syriæ — “into Mesopotamia of Syria,” a geographical genitive specifying the region of Aram-Naharaim.
Destination Phrase: ad Laban filium Bathuel Syri — “to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian,” identifies the family destination and lineage.
Apposition and Genitive Chain: fratrem Rebeccæ matris suæ — “the brother of Rebekah, his mother,” a layered genitive relationship clarifying Jacob’s family connection.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction + enclitic; Form: invariant; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines coordination and subordination, marking the start of a new narrative segment.
  2. dimisisset — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had sent away”; Notes: Expresses anteriority to the main verb; typical in Latin for temporal cum-clauses.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “dimisisset”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the one being sent away.
  4. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “dimisisset”; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Patriarchal figure performing the sending action.
  5. profectus — Lemma: proficiscor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: participle in main clause; Translation: “having departed”; Notes: Deponent form expressing completed departure; precedes main action “venit.”
  6. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he came”; Notes: Completes the travel sequence; perfect tense denotes completed arrival.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Introduces the destination region.
  8. Mesopotamiam — Lemma: Mesopotamia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “Mesopotamia”; Notes: Indicates the geographical area between the rivers, known in Hebrew as Aram-Naharaim.
  9. Syriæ — Lemma: Syria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of Syria”; Notes: Specifies Mesopotamia as belonging to or associated with Aram (Syria).
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces personal destination — Laban.
  11. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Identifies the person Jacob seeks — his maternal uncle.
  12. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Laban”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Clarifies lineage: Laban is the son of Bathuel.
  13. Bathuel — Lemma: Bathuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “filium”; Translation: “of Bathuel”; Notes: Marks Laban’s paternal descent.
  14. Syri — Lemma: Syrus; Part of Speech: noun/adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: epithet modifying “Bathuel”; Translation: “the Syrian”; Notes: Ethnic descriptor; identifies the cultural origin of Bathuel’s family.
  15. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Laban”; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Identifies familial connection to Rebekah.
  16. Rebeccæ — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “fratrem”; Translation: “of Rebekah”; Notes: Specifies sibling relationship with Jacob’s mother.
  17. matris — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of relation modifying “Rebeccæ”; Translation: “of mother”; Notes: Continues relational chain — Rebekah is Jacob’s mother.
  18. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “matris”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflects reflexive possession — “his own mother,” referring to Jacob.

 

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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