Genesis 30:4

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:4 Deditque illi Balam in coniugium: quæ,

And she gave Bala to him in marriage, who,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Deditque and she gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
2 illi to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
3 Balam Bala ACC.SG.F.PROPN
4 in into / in PREP + ACC
5 coniugium marriage ACC.SG.N
6 quæ who NOM.SG.F.REL.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Deditque illi Balam in coniugium — The verb Deditque governs the indirect object illi (“to him,” i.e., Jacob) and the direct object Balam (“Bala”), with the prepositional phrase in coniugium expressing purpose or destination (“into marriage”). The enclitic -que joins this action to the preceding narrative.
Relative Clause (incomplete): quæ introduces a following clause, referring to Balam as the antecedent (“who…”), which will continue in the next verse.

Morphology

  1. Deditque — Lemma: do + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “and she gave”; Notes: Refers to Rachel giving Bala to Jacob as wife.
  2. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun (demonstrative); Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of Deditque; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  3. Balam — Lemma: Bala; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Deditque; Translation: “Bala”; Notes: Identifies the handmaid given as a wife.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses result or relation; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates transformation or new status (as wife).
  5. coniugium — Lemma: coniugium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “marriage”; Notes: Marks Bala’s new relationship with Jacob.
  6. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun (relative); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of the following verb; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to Balam, introducing the next action.

 

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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