Genesis 31:2

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:2 animadvertit quoque faciem Laban, quod non esset erga se sicut heri et nudiustertius,

he also noticed the face of Laban, that it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before yesterday.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 animadvertit he noticed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 faciem face ACC.SG.F
4 Laban of Laban GEN.SG.M
5 quod that CONJ
6 non not ADV
7 esset was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
8 erga toward PREP+ACC
9 se him ACC.SG.REFL.PRON
10 sicut as CONJ.COMP
11 heri yesterday ADV
12 et and CONJ
13 nudiustertius the day before yesterday ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: animadvertit quoque faciem Laban — the main verb animadvertit governs a subordinate clause; faciem is the direct object.
Subordinate Clause (Object Clause): quod non esset erga se sicut heri et nudiustertius — indirect statement introduced by quod with subjunctive esset expressing reported perception: “that it was not toward him as before.”
Comparative Phrase: sicut heri et nudiustertius — idiomatic pair meaning “as yesterday and the day before yesterday,” showing deterioration of Laban’s attitude.

Morphology

  1. animadvertit — Lemma: animadverto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he noticed”; Notes: Compound of animus + adverto, often used for mental perception or realization.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Emphasizes addition to previous perception about Laban’s sons.
  3. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of animadvertit; Translation: “face”; Notes: Represents Laban’s countenance, a reflection of disposition.
  4. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of Laban”; Notes: Identifies whose countenance is observed.
  5. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces subordinate object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Takes subjunctive verb expressing indirect perception.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation particle; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates esset within indirect statement.
  7. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive used after quod to report perceived fact indirectly.
  8. erga — Lemma: erga; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction of feeling or relation; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Regularly used for emotional or behavioral attitude toward someone.
  9. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive); Form: accusative singular; Function: object of erga; Translation: “himself / him”; Notes: Refers back to Jacob as the experiencer of Laban’s changed attitude.
  10. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as”; Notes: Links present behavior to earlier conduct.
  11. heri — Lemma: heri; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of time; Translation: “yesterday”; Notes: Temporal marker showing recent past.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins comparative elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects heri and nudiustertius as temporal pair.
  13. nudiustertius — Lemma: nudiustertius; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of time; Translation: “the day before yesterday”; Notes: From “nunc dies tertius,” literally “now it is the third day,” forming idiom for “two days ago.”

 

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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