Genesis 30:6

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 30:6 Dixitque Rachel: Iudicavit mihi Dominus, et exaudivit vocem meam, dans mihi filium. et idcirco appellavit nomen eius, Dan.

And Rachel said: “The LORD has judged me, and has heard my voice, giving me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and she said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL.CONJ
2 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F.PROPN
3 Iudicavit has judged 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 mihi for me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 exaudivit has heard 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
9 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
10 dans giving PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
11 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
12 filium son ACC.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 idcirco therefore ADV
15 appellavit she called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 nomen name ACC.SG.N
17 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
18 Dan Dan ACC.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Rachel — The verb Dixitque introduces direct speech, with Rachel as the subject. The enclitic -que connects this action to the previous birth narrative.
Quoted Clauses: Iudicavit mihi Dominus, et exaudivit vocem meam — Two perfect verbs, Iudicavit (“has judged”) and exaudivit (“has heard”), describe divine vindication. The dative mihi marks the beneficiary, while vocem meam forms a direct object.
Participle Phrase: dans mihi filium — The participle dans (“giving”) depends on exaudivit, describing the means of divine response. filium is the direct object, and mihi the dative of advantage.
Concluding Clause: et idcirco appellavit nomen eius Dan — The adverb idcirco expresses cause (“therefore”), followed by appellavit as the main verb of naming. nomen eius Dan is a double accusative construction (“she called his name Dan”).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct discourse; Translation: “and she said”; Notes: Continues narrative following childbirth.
  2. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of Dixitque; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Speaker of the direct statement.
  3. Iudicavit — Lemma: iudico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has judged”; Notes: Expresses divine justice or vindication.
  4. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: “for me”; Notes: Indicates Rachel as beneficiary of divine judgment.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Iudicavit and exaudivit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as judge and giver of life.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two divine actions.
  7. exaudivit — Lemma: exaudio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has heard”; Notes: Expresses divine response to prayer.
  8. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of exaudivit; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Represents Rachel’s cry to YHWH.
  9. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: agrees with vocem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Possessive of vocem.
  10. dans — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: describes divine action; Translation: “giving”; Notes: Expresses the means by which YHWH responded.
  11. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dans; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates Rachel as recipient of the son.
  12. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of dans; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Dan, born through Bala.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: —; Function: connects to result clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Signals logical consequence.
  14. idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: —; Function: introduces causal/result statement; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Explains motivation for naming.
  15. appellavit — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming clause; Translation: “she called”; Notes: Concludes the birth-naming formula.
  16. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: first accusative in double accusative construction; Translation: “name”; Notes: Common in Latin naming expressions.
  17. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of nomen; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to the newborn child.
  18. Dan — Lemma: Dan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second accusative in naming clause; Translation: “Dan”; Notes: Hebrew for “judge,” echoing Iudicavit mihi Dominus.

 

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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