Genesis 29:10

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:10 Quam cum vidisset Iacob, et sciret consobrinam suam, ovesque Laban avunculi sui: amovit lapidem quo puteus claudebatur.

And when Jacob saw her, and recognized that she was his cousin, and the sheep of Laban his uncle, he removed the stone with which the well was closed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quam whom ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
2 cum when CONJ
3 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M.PROPN
5 et and CONJ
6 sciret knew 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
7 consobrinam cousin ACC.SG.F
8 suam his ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
9 ovesque and the sheep ACC.PL.F + ENCLITIC
10 Laban Laban GEN.SG.M.PROPN
11 avunculi of (his) uncle GEN.SG.M
12 sui his GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
13 amovit he removed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 lapidem stone ACC.SG.M
15 quo by which ABL.SG.M.REL.PRON
16 puteus well NOM.SG.M
17 claudebatur was closed 3SG.IMPF.PASS.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Quam cum vidisset Iacob — Subjunctive vidisset used after cum in a circumstantial temporal clause (“when Jacob had seen her”). The relative pronoun quam refers to Rachel.
Coordinated Clause: et sciret consobrinam suam, ovesque Laban avunculi sui — Conjoined by et, expressing simultaneous perception; sciret (imperfect subjunctive) describes Jacob’s realization that she was both his kinswoman and tending his uncle’s sheep. The enclitic -que attaches to oves, linking two direct objects (consobrinam suam and oves Laban avunculi sui).
Main Clause: amovit lapidem quo puteus claudebatur — Perfect verb amovit (he removed) introduces the principal action; lapidem is the direct object, and quo puteus claudebatur is a relative clause specifying the stone’s function (“by which the well was closed”).

Morphology

  1. Quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of vidisset; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to Rachel, the woman Jacob sees.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs subjunctive verb in temporal-circumstantial sense.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb in cum clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: Marks prior completed action relative to main clause.
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of vidisset and amovit; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch performing the actions.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: joins subordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects vidisset and sciret.
  6. sciret — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of second subordinate clause; Translation: “knew/recognized”; Notes: Expresses awareness concurrent with seeing Rachel.
  7. consobrinam — Lemma: consobrina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of sciret; Translation: “cousin”; Notes: Identifies Rachel’s kinship to Jacob.
  8. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies consobrinam; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive possessive referring to Iacob.
  9. ovesque — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun + enclitic; Form: accusative plural feminine + -que; Function: object linked to consobrinam; Translation: “and the sheep”; Notes: Enclitic joins second object in coordinated construction.
  10. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessor modifying oves; Translation: “of Laban”; Notes: Indicates ownership of the sheep.
  11. avunculi — Lemma: avunculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive in apposition to Laban; Translation: “uncle”; Notes: Specifies Laban’s relationship to Jacob.
  12. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive possessive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies avunculi; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s relationship to Laban.
  13. amovit — Lemma: amoveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he removed”; Notes: Marks principal completed action.
  14. lapidem — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of amovit; Translation: “stone”; Notes: Refers to the covering of the well.
  15. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: instrument in relative clause; Translation: “by which”; Notes: Refers to the stone used to close the well.
  16. puteus — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of claudebatur; Translation: “well”; Notes: Physical well from which water was drawn.
  17. claudebatur — Lemma: claudo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “was closed”; Notes: Describes continual state maintained by the stone.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.