Genesis 29:5

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

5 Quos interrogans, Numquid, ait, nostis Laban filium Nachor? Dixerunt: Novimus.

And questioning them, he said: “Do you perhaps know Laban, the son of Nachor?” They said: “We know him.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quos whom ACC.PL.M.REL
2 interrogans questioning NOM.SG.M.PRES.PART.ACT
3 Numquid perhaps INTERROG.PART
4 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 nostis do you know 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 Laban Laban ACC.SG.M.PROPN
7 filium son ACC.SG.M
8 Nachor Nachor GEN.SG.M.PROPN
9 Dixerunt they said 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Novimus we know 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Phrase: Quos interrogans — an ablative absolute-like participial phrase, literally “questioning them,” describing simultaneous action with ait.
Main Clause 1: Numquid ait, nostis Laban filium Nachor? — Numquid introduces a polite or tentative question (“Do you perhaps know…?”). nostis (2nd plural) is the main verb; Laban and filium Nachor form a double accusative: object (Laban) and appositive phrase (filium Nachor) identifying him as “the son of Nachor.”
Main Clause 2: Dixerunt: Novimus — a simple declarative statement; Dixerunt introduces direct speech, and Novimus is the perfect tense (“we know”), expressing their affirmative reply.

Morphology

  1. Quos — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of interrogans; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to the shepherds whom Jacob addressed.
  2. interrogans — Lemma: interrogo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: participle describing concurrent action of ait; Translation: “questioning”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s manner while speaking.
  3. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: —; Function: introduces yes/no question expecting a negative or uncertain answer; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: Polite, mitigated inquiry.
  4. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common narrative verb of direct discourse.
  5. nostis — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of direct question; Translation: “do you know”; Notes: Present tense used for current awareness or familiarity.
  6. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of nostis; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Patriarchal name, son of Bethuel and brother of Rebecca.
  7. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: appositive in direct object phrase; Translation: “son”; Notes: Apposition clarifying Laban’s identity.
  8. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying filium; Translation: “of Nachor”; Notes: Identifies the ancestral lineage of Laban.
  9. Dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: introduces the reply clause; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Narrative verb introducing direct response.
  10. Novimus — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st plural; Function: verb of direct speech; Translation: “we know”; Notes: Perfect tense conveying a present state of knowledge (“we are acquainted”).

 

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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