Genesis 29:6

Posted on January 29, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

6 Sanusne est? inquit: Valet, inquiunt: et ecce Rachel filia eius venit cum grege suo.

“Is he well?” he said. “He is well,” they said; “and behold, Rachel his daughter comes with her flock.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sanusne is he well? ADJ.NOM.SG.M + ENCLITIC
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Valet he is well 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 inquiunt they said 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 et and CONJ
7 ecce behold INTERJ
8 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN
9 filia daughter NOM.SG.F
10 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
11 venit comes 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 cum with PREP+ABL
13 grege flock ABL.SG.M
14 suo her ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Direct Question 1: Sanusne est? — Predicate adjective Sanus (“well”) joined to the implied subject he by est (“is”), with enclitic -ne marking a yes/no question.
Main Clause 1: inquit — verb introducing Jacob’s inquiry (“he said”).
Direct Reply: Valet, inquiunt — the predicate verb Valet (“he is well”) affirms Jacob’s question, with inquiunt (“they said”) introducing the collective response.
Main Clause 2: et ecce Rachel filia eius venit cum grege suo — independent narrative clause; ecce introduces a vivid present event (“behold”), Rachel is the subject, filia eius appositionally explains lineage (“his daughter”), and cum grege suo expresses accompaniment (“with her flock”).

Morphology

  1. Sanusne — Lemma: sanus; Part of Speech: adjective + enclitic; Form: nominative singular masculine + interrogative particle -ne; Function: predicate adjective in direct question; Translation: “is he well?”; Notes: The enclitic -ne attaches to the first word to form a yes/no question.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links the subject (he) and predicate adjective sanus.
  3. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: verb of speaking; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Commonly used for direct quotations in narrative Latin.
  4. Valet — Lemma: valeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: predicate verb; Translation: “he is well”; Notes: Expresses physical well-being.
  5. inquiunt — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person plural; Function: verb of response; Translation: “they said”; Notes: Used in dialogue narration to mark speakers.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: coordinates the next clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple narrative connector.
  7. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: —; Function: introduces vivid observation; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Draws attention to a sudden appearance.
  8. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of venit; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Name of Laban’s daughter.
  9. filia — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: apposition to Rachel; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Defines her familial relation.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of filia; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Laban as the father.
  11. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “comes”; Notes: Historic present vividly describing her arrival.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces prepositional phrase of company.
  13. grege — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “flock”; Notes: Refers to her sheep or livestock.
  14. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: agrees with grege; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive possessive corresponding 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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