Genesis 31:14

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:14 Responderuntque Rachel et Lia: Numquid habemus residui quidquam in facultatibus, et hereditate domus patris nostri?

And Rachel and Lia answered: “Have we still any portion or inheritance left in the wealth of our father’s house?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Responderuntque and answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
2 Rachel Rachel NOM.SG.F
3 et and CONJ
4 Lia Leah NOM.SG.F
5 Numquid have we? PART.INTERROG
6 habemus we have 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 residui remaining GEN.SG.M.ADJ
8 quidquam anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 facultatibus possessions ABL.PL.F
11 et and CONJ
12 hereditate inheritance ABL.SG.F
13 domus of the house GEN.SG.F
14 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
15 nostri our GEN.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Responderuntque Rachel et Lia — compound subject and perfect verb introducing the sisters’ united response.
Interrogative Clause: Numquid habemus residui quidquam in facultatibus et hereditate domus patris nostri? — a rhetorical question expressing indignation and irony, implying “We have nothing left.”
Structure: Subject implied in habemus, with quidquam as direct object, in facultatibus et hereditate forming the prepositional phrase of location/possession.

Morphology

  1. Responderuntque — Lemma: respondeo + -que; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “and answered”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed verbal response; enclitic -que joins their speech to the preceding divine command.
  2. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: first subject of Responderunt; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Retains Hebrew form in Latin, signifying firstborn of Laban’s younger daughter.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links two subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Balances the coordination of Rachel and Leah’s voices.
  4. Lia — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: second subject; Translation: “Leah”; Notes: Partnered with Rachel as co-speaker in shared protest.
  5. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting negative answer; Translation: “have we?”; Notes: Expresses disbelief or rhetorical challenge in dialogue.
  6. habemus — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 1st person plural; Function: main verb of question; Translation: “we have”; Notes: Expresses ownership or possession.
  7. residui — Lemma: residuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: partitive genitive with quidquam; Translation: “remaining”; Notes: Highlights that no share or remnant remains for them.
  8. quidquam — Lemma: quidquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of habemus; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Implies total deprivation.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates sphere or domain (“in the wealth”).
  10. facultatibus — Lemma: facultas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “possessions” or “resources”; Notes: Refers to material wealth of Laban.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates facultatibus and hereditate; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins temporal possessions with permanent inheritance.
  12. hereditate — Lemma: hereditas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: second object of in; Translation: “inheritance”; Notes: Denotes family property or patrimony.
  13. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: Refers to household lineage.
  14. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Specifies Laban as head of the house.
  15. nostri — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “our”; Notes: Emphasizes filial connection while underscoring estrangement.

 

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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