Genesis 29:12

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:12 et indicavit ei quod frater esset patris sui, et filius Rebeccæ: at illa festinans nunciavit patri suo.

and he told her that he was her father’s kinsman, and the son of Rebecca; but she, hurrying, told her father.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 indicavit he told 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ei to her DAT.SG.F.PRON
4 quod that CONJ
5 frater brother NOM.SG.M
6 esset was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
7 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
8 sui her GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 filius son NOM.SG.M
11 Rebeccæ of Rebecca GEN.SG.F.PROPN
12 at but CONJ
13 illa she NOM.SG.F.PRON
14 festinans hurrying NOM.SG.F.PRES.PART.ACT
15 nunciavit told 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 patri to (her) father DAT.SG.M
17 suo her DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause 1: et indicavit ei quod frater esset patris sui — The verb indicavit governs a substantive clause introduced by quod with subjunctive esset, expressing indirect statement (“that he was her father’s kinsman”). The dative ei marks the recipient, and the genitive phrase patris sui indicates possession (“of her father”).
Coordinated Clause: et filius Rebeccæ — Appositional addition, completing the indirect statement (“and the son of Rebecca”).
Main Clause 2: at illa festinans nunciavit patri suo — Contrastive at introduces Rachel’s action; illa is subject, festinans (present participle) expresses manner (“hurrying”), and nunciavit patri suo forms the main predicate (“told her father”).

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues Jacob’s sequence of speech acts.
  2. indicavit — Lemma: indico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he told”; Notes: Perfect tense narrates completed speech event.
  3. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces a noun clause (indirect statement); Translation: “that”; Notes: Common in late Latin for oratio obliqua.
  5. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Metaphorical kinship term (“kinsman”).
  6. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive required by quod in indirect discourse.
  7. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies sui; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Possessive genitive referring to Rachel’s father.
  8. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive possessive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Rachel.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: coordinates second predicate; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds further identification.
  10. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: second predicate nominative; Translation: “son”; Notes: Completes indirect statement with esset understood.
  11. Rebeccæ — Lemma: Rebecca; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Rebecca”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s mother.
  12. at — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks narrative shift to Rachel’s reaction.
  13. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of nunciavit; Translation: “she”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  14. festinans — Lemma: festino; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine present active; Function: participle modifying illa; Translation: “hurrying”; Notes: Expresses manner of her action.
  15. nunciavit — Lemma: nuntio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “told”; Notes: Perfect narrative verb introducing her report.
  16. patri — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (her) father”; Notes: Recipient of Rachel’s message.
  17. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies patri; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Rachel.

 

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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