Genesis 30:5

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:5 ingresso ad se viro, concepit, et peperit filium.

when her husband had gone in to her, she conceived and bore a son.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ingresso having entered ABL.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART
2 ad to / into PREP + ACC
3 se to her ACC.SG.REFL.PRON
4 viro man / husband ABL.SG.M
5 concepit she conceived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 et and CONJ
7 peperit she bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 filium son ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Temporal Clause (Ablative Absolute): ingresso ad se viro — The phrase forms an ablative absolute: ingresso viro (“the man having entered”), with ad se adding reflexive direction (“to her”). It sets the temporal background for the main action (“when her husband had gone in to her”).
Main Clause: concepit et peperit filium — The two perfect verbs concepit and peperit are joined by et, forming a concise result clause. The direct object filium completes the narrative event of childbirth.

Morphology

  1. ingresso — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle); Form: ablative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: ablative absolute with viro; Translation: “having entered”; Notes: Refers to Jacob entering Bala’s chamber.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / into”; Notes: Used with se to indicate direction of the action.
  3. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive); Form: accusative singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers reflexively to Bala, the female subject.
  4. viro — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: subject of ablative absolute with ingresso; Translation: “husband”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the agent of the action.
  5. concepit — Lemma: concipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: first main verb; Translation: “she conceived”; Notes: Denotes successful conception following the union.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links coordinate verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects conception and childbirth as sequential actions.
  7. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: second main verb; Translation: “she bore”; Notes: Follows conception, completing the reproductive act.
  8. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of peperit; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to the first son of Bala born to Jacob.

 

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.