Genesis 29:15

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:15 dixit ei: Num quia frater meus es, gratis servies mihi? dic quid mercedis accipias.

he said to him: “Because you are my brother, will you serve me for nothing? Tell me what wages you would receive.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
3 Num is it that INTERROG.PART
4 quia because CONJ
5 frater brother NOM.SG.M
6 meus my NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
7 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 gratis for nothing ADV
9 servies you will serve 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 mihi me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
11 dic tell 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
12 quid what INTERROG.PRON.ACC.SG.N
13 mercedis of wages GEN.SG.F
14 accipias you would receive 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit ei — Perfect active verb dixit with dative indirect object ei (“he said to him”), introducing direct discourse.
First Question: Num quia frater meus es, gratis servies mihi? — The interrogative particle Num expects a negative response (“surely you will not serve me for nothing?”). The causal conjunction quia introduces the subordinate clause explaining the reason (“because you are my brother”), while the main verb servies governs the dative mihi (“to me”).
Second Command: dic quid mercedis accipias — Imperative dic introduces indirect question quid mercedis accipias (“what wages you would receive”), where accipias is subjunctive, expressing potential or deliberative sense.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb introducing speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Introduces direct quotation of Laban’s words.
  2. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as recipient of speech.
  3. Num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: —; Function: introduces a question expecting “no”; Translation: “is it that…?”; Notes: Indicates rhetorical tone expecting negative answer.
  4. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains reason for relationship.
  5. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Used here to mean “kinsman.”
  6. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: “my”; Notes: Possessive expressing familial relationship.
  7. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Completes the predicate of the causal clause.
  8. gratis — Lemma: gratis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: modifies servies; Translation: “for nothing”; Notes: Emphasizes the expected compensation.
  9. servies — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb of question; Translation: “you will serve”; Notes: Predictive future expecting negation through Num.
  10. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of servies; Translation: “me”; Notes: Marks the beneficiary of the action.
  11. dic — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “tell”; Notes: Imperative used for negotiation or instruction.
  12. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object within indirect question; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces indirect interrogative clause.
  13. mercedis — Lemma: merces; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: partitive genitive with quid; Translation: “of wages”; Notes: Specifies the category of reward.
  14. accipias — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 2nd singular; Function: verb in indirect question; Translation: “you would receive”; Notes: Subjunctive expressing potential or deliberative mood.

 

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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