Genesis 29:25

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 29:25 et dixit ad socerum suum: Quid est quod facere voluisti? nonne pro Rachel servivi tibi? quare imposuisti mihi?

and he said to his father-in-law: “What is this that you wished to do? Did I not serve you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 socerum father-in-law ACC.SG.M
5 suum his ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
6 Quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG.PRON
7 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 quod that / which REL.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
9 facere to do INF.PRES.ACT
10 voluisti you wished 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 nonne did I not INTERROG.PART
12 pro for PREP+ABL
13 Rachel Rachel ABL.SG.F.PROPN
14 servivi I served 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 tibi you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
16 quare why INTERROG.ADV
17 imposuisti you deceived / imposed upon 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 mihi me DAT.SG.1P.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: et dixit ad socerum suum — Perfect active dixit introduces direct speech. The prepositional phrase ad socerum suum identifies the addressee (“to his father-in-law”), referring to Laban.
Interrogative Clause 1: Quid est quod facere voluisti? — The interrogative pronoun Quid introduces a question meaning “What is this that you have done?” The relative quod functions as the object of the infinitive facere governed by voluisti.
Interrogative Clause 2: nonne pro Rachel servivi tibi? — The particle nonne expects a positive response, affirming Jacob’s complaint: “Did I not serve you for Rachel?” The prepositional phrase pro Rachel expresses exchange or purpose.
Interrogative Clause 3: quare imposuisti mihi? — The adverb quare (“why”) introduces the final question. The verb imposuisti literally means “you placed upon,” but idiomatically “you deceived.” The dative mihi marks the person wronged.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links narrative clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects to the preceding episode of deception.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Marks Jacob’s speech to Laban.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Denotes direction toward the addressee.
  4. socerum — Lemma: socer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “father-in-law”; Notes: Refers to Laban.
  5. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies socerum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates kinship relation through marriage.
  6. Quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: pronoun (interrogative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: interrogative object; Translation: “what”; Notes: Seeks explanation of Laban’s act.
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms copula with quid.
  8. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of facere; Translation: “that / which”; Notes: Introduces a subordinate relative clause.
  9. facere — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: infinitive present active; Function: object of voluisti; Translation: “to do”; Notes: Completes expression of volition.
  10. voluisti — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “you wished”; Notes: Expresses Laban’s intent questioned by Jacob.
  11. nonne — Lemma: nonne; Part of Speech: particle; Form: —; Function: introduces a rhetorical question expecting “yes”; Translation: “did I not”; Notes: Expresses complaint.
  12. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates purpose of Jacob’s service.
  13. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: The intended bride.
  14. servivi — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I served”; Notes: Refers to the seven-year service rendered to Laban.
  15. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Laban as the one served.
  16. quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: adverb (interrogative); Form: —; Function: introduces question of reason; Translation: “why”; Notes: Opens final reproachful question.
  17. imposuisti — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you deceived / imposed upon”; Notes: Idiomatically expresses deceit or trickery.
  18. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of imposuisti; Translation: “me”; Notes: Marks Jacob as the one deceived.

 

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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