Genesis 30:37

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:37 Tollens ergo Iacob virgas populeas virides, et amygdalinas, et ex platanis, ex parte decorticavit eas: detractisque corticibus, in his, quæ spoliata fuerant, candor apparuit: illa vero quæ integra fuerant, viridia permanserunt: atque in hunc modum color effectus est varius.

And Jacob therefore took green rods of poplar, and of almond trees, and of plane trees, and peeled them in part: and when the bark had been stripped, in those places that were laid bare, whiteness appeared; but those parts that remained whole stayed green: and in this way the color became varied.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tollens taking PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M.PROPN
4 virgas rods ACC.PL.F
5 populeas of poplar ACC.PL.F.ADJ
6 virides green ACC.PL.F.ADJ
7 et and CONJ
8 amygdalinas of almond trees ACC.PL.F.ADJ
9 et and CONJ
10 ex from PREP + ABL
11 platanis plane trees ABL.PL.F
12 ex from PREP + ABL
13 parte partly ABL.SG.F
14 decorticavit he peeled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 eas them ACC.PL.F.PRON
16 detractisque and when removed ABL.ABS.PERF.PASS.PTCP
17 corticibus the barks ABL.PL.N
18 in in PREP + ABL
19 his these places ABL.PL.N.DEM.PRON
20 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL.PRON
21 spoliata laid bare NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
22 fuerant had been 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
23 candor whiteness NOM.SG.M
24 apparuit appeared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
25 illa those NOM.PL.N.DEM.PRON
26 vero but ADV
27 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL.PRON
28 integra whole NOM.PL.N.ADJ
29 fuerant had been 3PL.PLUP.ACT.IND
30 viridia green NOM.PL.N.ADJ
31 permanserunt remained 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
32 atque and also CONJ
33 in in PREP + ABL
34 hunc this ACC.SG.M.DEM.PRON
35 modum way / manner ACC.SG.M
36 color color NOM.SG.M
37 effectus was made / became PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
38 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
39 varius varied NOM.SG.M.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Tollens ergo Iacob virgas populeas virides, et amygdalinas, et ex platanis, ex parte decorticavit eas — The participle Tollens introduces the action; Iacob is the subject; decorticavit the main finite verb. Direct object: virgas with adjectives describing type and color.
Subordinate Clauses: detractisque corticibus (ablative absolute) sets temporal background: “when the barks had been removed.” The relative clause in his quae spoliata fuerant candor apparuit states the result; another relative clause illa vero quae integra fuerant viridia permanserunt contrasts the intact parts.
Result Clause: atque in hunc modum color effectus est varius concludes the process with resultant description — the color became varied.

Morphology

  1. Tollens — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies Iacob as circumstantial participle; Translation: “taking”; Notes: Expresses an action simultaneous with the main verb, introducing Jacob’s preparatory gesture.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks logical consequence from the preceding verse describing separation of the flocks.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of decorticavit; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Identifies the actor performing the symbolic manipulation of rods.
  4. virgas — Lemma: virga; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of tollens and decorticavit; Translation: “rods”; Notes: Refers to branches taken as visual stimuli in Jacob’s selective breeding strategy.
  5. populeas — Lemma: populeus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies virgas; Translation: “of poplar”; Notes: Specifies the tree species chosen for its light bark color.
  6. virides — Lemma: viridis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies virgas; Translation: “green”; Notes: Emphasizes that the branches were freshly cut and full of sap.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the description of multiple kinds of rods in the series.
  8. amygdalinas — Lemma: amygdalinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies virgas; Translation: “of almond trees”; Notes: Indicates rods from almond wood, adding diversity in texture and hue.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links with the following noun phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues cumulative listing of materials used by Jacob.
  10. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates the material source of the rods (the plane trees).
  11. platanis — Lemma: platanus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of ex; Translation: “plane trees”; Notes: Known for pale bark, suitable for creating contrasting color effects.
  12. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses partial relation; Translation: “from / in”; Notes: Introduces the phrase ex parte meaning “in part.”
  13. parte — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: “part”; Notes: Specifies that the bark was only partially removed.
  14. decorticavit — Lemma: decortico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main finite verb; Translation: “he peeled”; Notes: Describes the key preparatory action in Jacob’s manipulation of the rods.
  15. eas — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of decorticavit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to virgas as the things peeled.
  16. detractisque — Lemma: detraho; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “and when removed”; Notes: Marks temporal setting of the subsequent result clause.
  17. corticibus — Lemma: cortex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “barks”; Notes: Specifies material stripped off during the action.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces local clause where whiteness appeared.
  19. his — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “in these places”; Notes: Points to the peeled sections of the rods.
  20. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of fuerant; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects to the clause describing what had been stripped.
  21. spoliata — Lemma: spolio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter perfect passive participle; Function: complement to quæ; Translation: “stripped bare”; Notes: Refers to portions where bark was removed, revealing pale inner wood.
  22. fuerant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “had been”; Notes: Forms periphrastic perfect passive with spoliata.
  23. candor — Lemma: candor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of apparuit; Translation: “whiteness”; Notes: The brightness or pale hue of the inner wood.
  24. apparuit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: predicate verb; Translation: “appeared”; Notes: Indicates visible manifestation of color contrast after peeling.
  25. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of permanserunt; Translation: “those (parts)”; Notes: Refers to the unstripped portions of the rods.
  26. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrastive adverb; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces antithesis to the whitened parts described earlier.
  27. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of fuerant; Translation: “which”; Notes: Begins second relative clause about intact areas.
  28. integra — Lemma: integer; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate complement to fuerant; Translation: “whole”; Notes: Contrasts with stripped parts, stressing natural state.
  29. fuerant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “had been”; Notes: Forms pluperfect periphrasis with integra.
  30. viridia — Lemma: viridis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject complement; Translation: “green”; Notes: Indicates the retained color of the intact barked areas.
  31. permanserunt — Lemma: permaneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “remained”; Notes: Perfect tense marking completed persistence of color.
  32. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects result clause; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Adds concluding statement summarizing result of the process.
  33. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of manner; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces expression of resultant condition.
  34. hunc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies modum; Translation: “this”; Notes: Demonstrative emphasizing specificity of the manner described.
  35. modum — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “way / manner”; Notes: Indicates how the effect was produced.
  36. color — Lemma: color; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of effectus est; Translation: “color”; Notes: Summarizes visible outcome of Jacob’s manipulation.
  37. effectus — Lemma: efficio; Part of Speech: participle (passive); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: part of verb phrase effectus est; Translation: “was made / became”; Notes: Describes completion of transformation into variegated color.
  38. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: auxiliary in perfect passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Completes the compound verb effectus est.
  39. varius — Lemma: varius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective modifying color; Translation: “varied”; Notes: Indicates the resultant diversity of coloration on the rods.

 

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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