Genesis 31:17

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:17 Surrexit itaque Iacob, et impositis liberis, ac coniugibus suis super camelos, abiit.

Then Jacob arose, and having placed his children and his wives upon camels, he departed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Surrexit arose 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 itaque therefore CONJ.ADV
3 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 impositis having placed ABL.PL.PERF.PTCP.ACT
6 liberis children ABL.PL.M
7 ac and also CONJ
8 coniugibus wives ABL.PL.F
9 suis his ABL.PL.F.PRON
10 super upon PREP+ACC
11 camelos camels ACC.PL.M
12 abiit he departed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Surrexit itaque Iacob — expresses the decisive moment of Jacob’s obedience and departure.
Participial Phrase: et impositis liberis ac coniugibus suis super camelos — ablative absolute describing the manner or circumstance preceding the main action.
Final Action: abiit — main verb completing the narrative movement toward return to Canaan.

Morphology

  1. Surrexit — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “arose”; Notes: Denotes decisive physical and spiritual action — Jacob’s readiness to leave Haran.
  2. itaque — Lemma: itaque; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces conclusion; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Logical connector linking divine command with Jacob’s response.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of surrexit and abiit; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Center of patriarchal narrative, acting upon divine instruction.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links participial phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connector continuing the sequence of action.
  5. impositis — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural, perfect passive; Function: ablative absolute with liberis; Translation: “having placed”; Notes: Expresses completed preparatory act before departure.
  6. liberis — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of participle in ablative absolute; Translation: “children”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s sons, symbols of divine blessing.
  7. ac — Lemma: ac (atque); Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinate terms; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Stronger connective emphasizing inclusion of wives.
  8. coniugibus — Lemma: coniux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: coordinated noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “wives”; Notes: Refers to Rachel and Leah as joint companions on the journey.
  9. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies coniugibus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Highlights personal responsibility and ownership of family.
  10. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces spatial relation; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates placement or physical elevation on camels.
  11. camelos — Lemma: camelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of super; Translation: “camels”; Notes: Serves as transport in patriarchal journeys across Mesopotamia.
  12. abiit — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb concluding sentence; Translation: “he departed”; Notes: Marks the pivotal departure from Haran toward fulfillment of divine promise.

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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