Genesis 31:18

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:18 Tulitque omnem substantiam suam, et greges, et quidquid in Mesopotamia acquisierat, pergens ad Isaac patrem suum in terram Chanaan.

And he took all his possessions, and the flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and went to Isaac his father in the land of Chanaan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulitque and he took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 omnem all ACC.SG.F.ADJ
3 substantiam substance ACC.SG.F
4 suam his ACC.SG.F.PRON
5 et and CONJ
6 greges flocks ACC.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 quidquid whatever NOM/ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 Mesopotamia Paddan-aram ABL.SG.F
11 acquisierat he had acquired 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
12 pergens going NOM.SG.M.PRES.PTCP.ACT
13 ad to PREP+ACC
14 Isaac Isaac ACC.SG.M
15 patrem father ACC.SG.M
16 suum his ACC.SG.M.PRON
17 in in PREP+ACC
18 terram land ACC.SG.F
19 Chanaan Canaan ACC.SG.F.PROP

Syntax

Main Clause: Tulitque omnem substantiam suam — marks the beginning of Jacob’s departure, taking all his wealth.
Coordinate Clauses: et greges, et quidquid in Mesopotamia acquisierat — expands on what he took, emphasizing divine blessing and increase.
Participial Clause: pergens ad Isaac patrem suum in terram Chanaan — expresses purpose and destination, linking Jacob’s obedience to the covenantal homeland.

Morphology

  1. Tulitque — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he took”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed, decisive action of departure.
  2. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies substantiam; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of possessions Jacob carried.
  3. substantiam — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of tulit; Translation: “substance / possessions”; Notes: Represents material wealth gained in service to Laban.
  4. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies substantiam; Translation: “his”; Notes: Highlights rightful ownership of possessions by Jacob.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins coordinate elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connective linking additional possessions.
  6. greges — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of tulit; Translation: “flocks”; Notes: Symbol of wealth and divine favor in patriarchal culture.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects further objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues enumeration of Jacob’s property.
  8. quidquid — Lemma: quisquis; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: object of acquisierat; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Generalizes all acquisitions in Mesopotamia.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Refers to the region of Mesopotamia where Jacob prospered.
  10. Mesopotamia — Lemma: Mesopotamia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Mesopotamia”; Notes: The land between the rivers where Laban dwelt.
  11. acquisierat — Lemma: acquiro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “he had acquired”; Notes: Denotes prior accumulation of goods before departure.
  12. pergens — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, present active; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “going”; Notes: Expresses ongoing motion toward destination.
  13. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces destination of Jacob’s journey.
  14. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s father, still living in Canaan.
  15. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: in apposition with Isaac; Translation: “father”; Notes: Clarifies the filial relationship.
  16. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates family connection and filial duty.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion into; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks entry into the Promised Land.
  18. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the covenant territory of promise.
  19. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifier of terram; Translation: “Chanaan”; Notes: Geographic focus of the patriarchal covenant.

 

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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