Genesis 30:26

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:26 Da mihi uxores, et liberos meos, pro quibus servivi tibi, ut abeam: tu nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi.

Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served you, that I may depart: you know the service with which I have served you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Da give 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
2 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
3 uxores wives ACC.PL.F
4 et and CONJ
5 liberos children ACC.PL.M
6 meos my ACC.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
7 pro for PREP + ABL
8 quibus whom ABL.PL.M.REL.PRON
9 servivi I have served 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 tibi you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
11 ut that / in order that CONJ
12 abeam I may depart 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 tu you NOM.SG.2P.PRON
14 nosti know 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 servitutem service ACC.SG.F
16 qua which / with which ABL.SG.F.REL.PRON
17 servivi I have served 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 tibi you DAT.SG.2P.PRON

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: Da mihi uxores et liberos meos — Da (“give”) governs the dative mihi (“to me”) and the coordinated direct objects uxores and liberos meos (“my wives and my children”).
Relative Clause of Reason: pro quibus servivi tibi — quibus (“for whom”) functions as the object of the preposition pro, with servivi (“I have served”) as the main verb.
Purpose Clause: ut abeam — Introduced by ut, the subjunctive abeam expresses Jacob’s purpose in requesting release.
Independent Declarative Clause: tu nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi — tu (“you”) is the subject, nosti (“know”) the main verb, and servitutem (“the service”) the object, followed by the relative clause qua servivi tibi (“with which I have served you”) for specification.

Morphology

  1. Da — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “give”; Notes: Jacob requests permission for his rightful family and freedom after years of labor.
  2. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of Da; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the beneficiary of the action.
  3. uxores — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of Da; Translation: “wives”; Notes: Refers to Rachel and Leah, Jacob’s two wives.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins direct objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects uxores and liberos.
  5. liberos — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of Da; Translation: “children”; Notes: Refers collectively to Jacob’s offspring by his wives and concubines.
  6. meos — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies liberos; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes Jacob’s paternal right over his children.
  7. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses purpose or exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for Jacob’s service.
  8. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “for whom”; Notes: Refers to the wives and children obtained through service.
  9. servivi — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have served”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s faithful labor for Laban.
  10. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of servivi; Translation: “you”; Notes: The addressee, Laban.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Connects Jacob’s request with his purpose to return home.
  12. abeam — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: main verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may depart”; Notes: Subjunctive used to express intended action.
  13. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of nosti; Translation: “you”; Notes: Addresses Laban directly.
  14. nosti — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb of independent clause; Translation: “you know”; Notes: Perfect with present sense, meaning “you are aware.”
  15. servitutem — Lemma: servitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of nosti; Translation: “service”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s long servitude under Laban.
  16. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means modifying servitutem; Translation: “with which”; Notes: Specifies the quality or manner of Jacob’s service.
  17. servivi — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have served”; Notes: Repetition reinforces Jacob’s faithfulness and diligence.
  18. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of servivi; Translation: “you”; Notes: Closes the sentence by emphasizing Jacob’s loyalty to Laban.

 

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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