Genesis 30:31

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:31 Dixitque Laban: Quid tibi dabo? At ille ait: Nihil volo: sed si feceris quod postulo, iterum pascam, et custodiam pecora tua.

And Laban said: “What shall I give you?” But he said: “I want nothing; but if you will do what I ask, I will again feed and keep your flocks.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 Laban Laban NOM.SG.M.PROPN
3 Quid what ACC.SG.N.INT.PRON
4 tibi to you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
5 dabo shall I give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 At but CONJ
7 ille he NOM.SG.M.PRON
8 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Nihil nothing ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
10 volo I want 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 sed but CONJ
12 si if CONJ
13 feceris you will do 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
14 quod what / which ACC.SG.N.REL.PRON
15 postulo I ask 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 iterum again ADV
17 pascam I will feed 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 et and CONJ
19 custodiam I will keep 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 pecora flocks ACC.PL.N
21 tua your ACC.PL.N.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Dixitque Laban: Quid tibi dabo? — The enclitic -que links this sentence to the prior context. Laban is the subject, Dixit the verb, and Quid tibi dabo a direct question meaning “What shall I give you?”
Main Clause 2: At ille ait: Nihil volo — At introduces contrast, with ille (Jacob) as subject and ait the verb; the direct statement “Nihil volo” means “I want nothing.”
Conditional Clause: si feceris quod postulo — si introduces a condition, with feceris as a future perfect indicative verb (“if you will do”) and quod postulo (“what I ask”) as its object.
Result Clause: iterum pascam et custodiam pecora tua — pascam and custodiam are coordinated future indicatives describing Jacob’s commitment to continue shepherding Laban’s flocks.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular with enclitic -que; Function: main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Perfect tense situates Laban’s speech as a narrative action joined to previous discourse.
  2. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixit; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Patriarch and employer addressing Jacob.
  3. Quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: pronoun (interrogative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of dabo; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces Laban’s direct question regarding compensation.
  4. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dabo; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Addresses Jacob personally as the recipient.
  5. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of the question; Translation: “shall I give”; Notes: Expresses Laban’s readiness to offer wages or reward.
  6. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Signals Jacob’s response as contrary or corrective.
  7. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the responder.
  8. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb introducing speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative formula for direct dialogue.
  9. Nihil — Lemma: nihil; Part of Speech: pronoun (indefinite); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of volo; Translation: “nothing”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s refusal of any material payment.
  10. volo — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of Jacob’s response; Translation: “I want”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s firm and independent will.
  11. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrastive clause; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces Jacob’s conditional proposition.
  12. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes condition for Jacob’s continued service.
  13. feceris — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “you will do”; Notes: Indicates future condition preceding main action.
  14. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of feceris; Translation: “what / which”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s specific request.
  15. postulo — Lemma: postulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: verb within relative clause; Translation: “I ask”; Notes: Expresses Jacob’s negotiated condition for continued service.
  16. iterum — Lemma: iterum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies pascam and custodiam; Translation: “again”; Notes: Indicates repetition of previous work caring for Laban’s flocks.
  17. pascam — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: first verb of result clause; Translation: “I will feed”; Notes: Refers to tending and pasturing livestock under agreed conditions.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins coordinated verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links two future actions describing Jacob’s duties.
  19. custodiam — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st singular; Function: second verb of coordinated clause; Translation: “I will keep”; Notes: Refers to protecting or guarding the flocks.
  20. pecora — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of pascam and custodiam; Translation: “flocks”; Notes: Denotes livestock collectively as property of Laban.
  21. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies pecora; Translation: “your”; Notes: Stresses that Jacob’s continued care will still benefit Laban’s herds.

 

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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