Genesis 31:21

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:21 Cumque abiisset tam ipse quam omnia quæ iuris sui erant, et amne transmisso pergeret contra montem Galaad,

And when he had gone, both he and all that were his possessions, and having crossed the river, he continued on toward Mount Galaad,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 abiisset had gone 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 tam as much ADV.CORREL
4 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M.PRON
5 quam as also CONJ.CORREL
6 omnia all things NOM.PL.N
7 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL.PRON
8 iuris of right GEN.SG.N
9 sui his GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
10 erant were 3PL.IMPF.ACT.IND
11 et and CONJ
12 amne river ABL.SG.M
13 transmisso having crossed ABL.SG.M.PERF.PTCP.PASS
14 pergeret he continued 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
15 contra toward PREP+ACC
16 montem mountain ACC.SG.M
17 Galaad Gilead ACC.SG.M.PROP

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque abiisset tam ipse quam omnia quæ iuris sui erant — a subordinate clause marking the time of Jacob’s departure, inclusive of his family and possessions.
Ablative Absolute: et amne transmisso — denotes the completed crossing of the river, situating Jacob geographically.
Main Clause: pergeret contra montem Galaad — narrates the main action: Jacob’s forward progress toward Mount Gilead, emphasizing purposeful movement.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction with enclitic -que; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines conjunction of time with connective force linking to prior narrative.
  2. abiisset — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had gone”; Notes: Subjunctive used with cum for circumstantial meaning (“when he had gone”).
  3. tam — Lemma: tam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: correlative with quam; Translation: “as much”; Notes: Balances the two correlated subjects in the clause.
  4. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of abiisset; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Emphasizes Jacob’s personal agency in departing.
  5. quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: correlates with tam; Translation: “as also”; Notes: Links the parallel element “all that was his.”
  6. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of erant; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Refers collectively to Jacob’s property and dependents.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects possessions to their legal ownership.
  8. iuris — Lemma: ius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: objective genitive; Translation: “of right”; Notes: Denotes lawful possession or entitlement under patriarchal authority.
  9. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies iuris; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reinforces rightful ownership and divine justice theme.
  10. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: Describes continuous possession of property during departure.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins ablative absolute with previous clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates sequential actions (departure and crossing).
  12. amne — Lemma: amnis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “river”; Notes: Likely refers to the Euphrates, indicating Jacob’s route westward.
  13. transmisso — Lemma: transmittō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive; Function: agrees with amne in ablative absolute; Translation: “having crossed”; Notes: Marks the completed transition across a physical and symbolic boundary.
  14. pergeret — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of temporal clause following cum; Translation: “he continued”; Notes: Describes sustained motion toward his next destination.
  15. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Implies facing or approaching a geographical feature.
  16. montem — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Refers to the hilly region of Gilead.
  17. Galaad — Lemma: Galaad; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifier in apposition to montem; Translation: “Galaad”; Notes: The mountain region east of the Jordan, later a boundary marker between Jacob and Laban.

 

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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