Genesis 30:25

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:25 Nato autem Ioseph, dixit Iacob socero suo: Dimitte me ut revertar in patriam, et ad terram meam.

And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his father-in-law: “Send me away, that I may return to my homeland and to my land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nato when was born ABL.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART
2 autem however / now ADV
3 Ioseph Joseph ABL.SG.M.PROPN
4 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M.PROPN
6 socero to father-in-law DAT.SG.M
7 suo his DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
8 Dimitte send away 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
9 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
10 ut that / in order that CONJ
11 revertar I may return 1SG.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
12 in to / into PREP + ACC
13 patriam homeland ACC.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 ad to / toward PREP + ACC
16 terram land ACC.SG.F
17 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Nato autem Ioseph — The ablative absolute expresses the time of the main action: “when Joseph was born.”
Main Clause: dixit Iacob socero suo — Iacob is the nominative subject, dixit the main verb, and socero suo (“to his father-in-law”) the indirect object.
Quoted Command: Dimitte me ut revertar in patriam et ad terram meam — An imperative followed by a purpose clause introduced by ut and a subjunctive verb revertar. The prepositional phrases in patriam and ad terram meam express Jacob’s desire to return home.

Morphology

  1. Nato — Lemma: nascor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent verb); Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: used in ablative absolute with Ioseph; Translation: “when was born”; Notes: Marks the temporal setting — Joseph’s birth triggers Jacob’s wish to return home.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional particle; Translation: “now / however”; Notes: Serves to shift the narrative to a new development.
  3. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute with Nato; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Identifies the birth event prompting the dialogue.
  4. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces Jacob’s direct speech to Laban.
  5. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch who seeks permission to return to his homeland.
  6. socero — Lemma: socer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of dixit; Translation: “to father-in-law”; Notes: Refers to Laban, father of Rachel and Leah.
  7. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies socero; Translation: “his”; Notes: Possessive adjective reinforcing the familial relationship.
  8. Dimitte — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “send away”; Notes: Direct imperative addressed to Laban, requesting release from service.
  9. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of Dimitte; Translation: “me”; Notes: Jacob is the one asking to be allowed to leave.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Connects the command with the goal of returning home.
  11. revertar — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present subjunctive 1st singular; Function: main verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may return”; Notes: Deponent subjunctive expressing Jacob’s intended action.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into / to”; Notes: Introduces destination of the journey.
  13. patriam — Lemma: patria; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “homeland”; Notes: Refers to Canaan, Jacob’s ancestral land.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins parallel phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links patriam and terram meam.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Reinforces the sense of direction in Jacob’s plea.
  16. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “land”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes Jacob’s longing for his native soil.
  17. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “my”; Notes: Personalizes Jacob’s homeland as his rightful inheritance.

 

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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