Genesis 31:24

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:24 Viditque in somnis dicentem sibi Deum: Cave ne quidquam aspere loquaris contra Iacob.

And he saw in a dream God speaking to him, saying: “Beware that you do not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Viditque and he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 somnis in dreams ABL.PL.N
4 dicentem saying ACC.SG.M.PRES.PTCP.ACT
5 sibi to him DAT.SG.REFL.PRON
6 Deum God ACC.SG.M
7 Cave beware 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 ne lest CONJ.NEG
9 quidquam anything ACC.SG.N.INDEF.PRON
10 aspere harshly ADV
11 loquaris you speak 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
12 contra against PREP+ACC
13 Iacob Jacob ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Viditque in somnis Deum dicentem sibi — expresses Laban’s visionary experience, with in somnis (ablative of manner) marking the divine mode of communication.
Indirect Speech: Cave ne quidquam aspere loquaris contra Iacob — introduces God’s warning in direct command form, employing the subjunctive loquaris after negative ne.
Overall Structure: The sentence juxtaposes divine revelation and moral caution, emphasizing protection of Jacob through divine command.

Morphology

  1. Viditque — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he saw”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed visionary event; enclitic -que links it to the preceding verse.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location or condition; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates the medium or setting of divine encounter (“in dreams”).
  3. somnis — Lemma: somnus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of manner or circumstance; Translation: “in dreams”; Notes: Common biblical expression for divine revelation (compare to Genesis 20:3).
  4. dicentem — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular masculine present active; Function: modifies Deum; Translation: “speaking” or “saying”; Notes: Indicates ongoing speech by God within the vision.
  5. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dicentem; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers reflexively to Laban as the recipient of divine speech.
  6. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vidit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The direct object in vision verbs, emphasizing divine initiative.
  7. Cave — Lemma: caveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of divine injunction; Translation: “beware”; Notes: Urgent imperative expressing warning or prohibition.
  8. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative particle introducing subjunctive clause; Function: expresses prohibition; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Used to negate subordinate commands or warnings.
  9. quidquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of loquaris; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Reinforces total prohibition — not even a single harsh word.
  10. aspere — Lemma: asper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies loquaris; Translation: “harshly”; Notes: Describes tone or manner of speech; moral nuance against verbal aggression.
  11. loquaris — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause after ne; Translation: “you speak”; Notes: Subjunctive mood fits prohibition construction following cave ne.
  12. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces opposition or hostility; Translation: “against”; Notes: Strengthens the warning’s relational focus — not merely to avoid speech, but speech *against* Jacob.
  13. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of contra; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The object of divine protection; the prohibition underlines YHWH’s covenantal defense of His chosen patriarch.

 

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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