Genesis 30:19

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:19 Rursum Lia concipiens, peperit sextum filium,

And again Lia, conceiving, bore a sixth son,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursum again ADV
2 Lia Leah NOM.SG.F.PROPN
3 concipiens conceiving NOM.SG.F.PRES.ACT.PART
4 peperit bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 sextum sixth ACC.SG.M.ADJ
6 filium son ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Adverbial Modifier: Rursum (“again”) modifies the entire clause, signaling the repetition of conception and birth.
Main Clause: Lia concipiens peperit sextum filium — Lia is the nominative subject; the participle concipiens functions adverbially, meaning “having conceived” or “in the act of conceiving,” while peperit serves as the main finite verb. The phrase sextum filium (“a sixth son”) forms the direct object with its adjective preceding for emphasis.

Morphology

  1. Rursum — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies peperit; Translation: “again”; Notes: Expresses recurrence, emphasizing that Leah once more conceives and bears a child.
  2. Lia — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “Leah”; Notes: The matriarch through whom Jacob’s sixth son is born, representing divine fruitfulness.
  3. concipiens — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: participle (verb); Form: nominative singular feminine present active participle; Function: circumstantial participle modifying Lia; Translation: “conceiving”; Notes: Describes Leah’s condition or ongoing action concurrent with childbirth.
  4. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “bore”; Notes: Aoristic perfect indicating completed action — the successful birth of another son.
  5. sextum — Lemma: sextus; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies filium; Translation: “sixth”; Notes: Denotes order in Leah’s sequence of births, underlining divine multiplication.
  6. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of peperit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Leah’s sixth son, Zebulun, born after Issachar as another sign of divine blessing.

 

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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