Genesis 31:10

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:10 Postquam enim conceptus ovium tempus advenerat, levavi oculos meos, et vidi in somnis ascendentes mares super feminas, varios et maculosos, et diversorum colorum.

For when the time of the sheep’s conception had come, I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream the males mounting the females, variegated, spotted, and of diverse colors.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Postquam after CONJ.TEMP
2 enim for ADV.CAUS
3 conceptus of conception GEN.PL.M
4 ovium of sheep GEN.PL.F
5 tempus time NOM.SG.N
6 advenerat had come 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
7 levavi I lifted 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
9 meos my ACC.PL.M.PRON
10 et and CONJ
11 vidi I saw 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 somnis in a dream ABL.PL.N
14 ascendentes ascending ACC.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
15 mares males ACC.PL.M
16 super upon PREP+ACC
17 feminas females ACC.PL.F
18 varios variegated ACC.PL.M.ADJ
19 et and CONJ
20 maculosos spotted ACC.PL.M.ADJ
21 et and CONJ
22 diversorum of diverse GEN.PL.M.ADJ
23 colorum colors GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Postquam enim conceptus ovium tempus advenerat — subordinate clause marking the time when Jacob’s vision occurred.
Main Clause: levavi oculos meos, et vidi in somnis — perfect tense expresses completed visionary action.
Object Clause: ascendentes mares super feminas, varios et maculosos, et diversorum colorum — describes what Jacob saw, with adjectives modifying mares.

Morphology

  1. Postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “after”; Notes: Marks completed action preceding main event, typical in narrative transitions.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: explanatory particle; Translation: “for”; Notes: Provides causal or explanatory nuance, linking reason to prior context.
  3. conceptus — Lemma: conceptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying tempus; Translation: “of conception”; Notes: Indicates reproductive cycle of the flocks.
  4. ovium — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the sheep”; Notes: Complements conceptus in describing livestock breeding period.
  5. tempus — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of advenerat; Translation: “time”; Notes: Denotes the season of conception or mating period.
  6. advenerat — Lemma: advenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had come”; Notes: Expresses completion prior to Jacob’s vision.
  7. levavi — Lemma: levo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I lifted”; Notes: Denotes spiritual readiness and perception in prophetic context.
  8. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of levavi; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Used metaphorically for awareness or insight in visionary scenes.
  9. meos — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces first-person involvement in vision.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinated verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequentially links vision verbs in narration.
  11. vidi — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I saw”; Notes: Introduces the visionary content of Jacob’s dream.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks setting of the vision (in dreams).
  13. somnis — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “in dreams”; Notes: Context of divine revelation typical in patriarchal narratives.
  14. ascendentes — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative plural masculine, present active; Function: predicate participle modifying mares; Translation: “ascending”; Notes: Depicts mating imagery symbolizing divine multiplication.
  15. mares — Lemma: mas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of vidi; Translation: “males”; Notes: Refers to rams or he-goats in reproductive context.
  16. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates position or action upon; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Here denotes physical movement during copulation.
  17. feminas — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: “females”; Notes: Denotes ewes or female animals in the vision.
  18. varios — Lemma: varius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifier of mares; Translation: “variegated”; Notes: Describes color patterns symbolic of divine control over inheritance.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates descriptors of divine sign imagery.
  20. maculosos — Lemma: maculosus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifier of mares; Translation: “spotted”; Notes: Suggests diversity of offspring predetermined by God.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds final element to descriptive list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Tricolon structure enhances rhythmic closure.
  22. diversorum — Lemma: diversus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies colorum; Translation: “of diverse”; Notes: Highlights contrast in coloration across flocks.
  23. colorum — Lemma: color; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of quality; Translation: “colors”; Notes: Indicates spectrum of variations confirming divine orchestration in Jacob’s breeding vision.

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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