Genesis 30:34

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:34 Dixitque Laban: Gratum habeo quod petis.

And Laban said: “I consider pleasing what you ask.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
2 Laban Laban NOM.SG.M.PROPN
3 Gratum pleasing ACC.SG.N.ADJ
4 habeo I consider / I hold 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 quod what / that which ACC.SG.N.REL.PRON
6 petis you ask 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause (narration): Dixitque Laban — verb in perfect indicative with enclitic “-que” links to prior context; Laban is the nominative subject.
Quoted assertion: Gratum habeo quod petis — idiom “Gratum habeo” = “I consider (it) pleasing”; quod petis is a relative clause functioning as the internal object (“the thing which you ask”).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb (+ enclitic); Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular with -que; Function: main narrative verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Enclitic -que coordinates this clause with the preceding narrative unit.
  2. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Dixit; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Speaker addressing Jacob in the dialogue.
  3. Gratum — Lemma: gratus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter (used substantively); Function: predicate complement with habeo (accusative + infinitive sense without expressed pronoun “id”); Translation: “pleasing”; Notes: Latin idiom “gratum habere” = “to be pleased with / consider agreeable.”
  4. habeo — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: main verb of the quoted clause; Translation: “I have / I hold / I consider”; Notes: With predicate accusative it conveys evaluative stance (“I consider it pleasing”).
  5. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object within the relative clause modifying the understood “id” after habeo; Translation: “what / that which”; Notes: Introduces the content specified: the request Jacob made.
  6. petis — Lemma: peto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: predicate of the relative clause; Translation: “you ask”; Notes: Refers back to Jacob’s proposal regarding the terms of his service.

 

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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