Genesis 31:25

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:25 Iamque Iacob extenderat in monte tabernaculum: cumque ille consecutus fuisset eum cum fratribus suis, in eodem Monte Galaad fixit tentorium.

And Jacob had already pitched his tent on the mountain; and when he had overtaken him with his brothers, he also set up his camp on the same Mount Galaad.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iamque and already ADV + ENCLITIC
2 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M
3 extenderat had pitched 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
4 in on PREP+ABL
5 monte mountain ABL.SG.M
6 tabernaculum tent ACC.SG.N
7 cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC
8 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
9 consecutus had overtaken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP.DEP
10 fuisset had been 3SG.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
11 eum him ACC.SG.M
12 cum with PREP+ABL
13 fratribus brothers ABL.PL.M
14 suis his ABL.PL.M.PRON
15 in on PREP+ABL
16 eodem the same ABL.SG.M.DEM.ADJ
17 Monte mountain ABL.SG.M
18 Galaad Gilead ABL.SG.M.PROP
19 fixit set up 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 tentorium camp ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Iamque Iacob extenderat in monte tabernaculum — pluperfect indicates prior completion; Jacob had already established his dwelling before Laban’s arrival.
Temporal Clause: cumque ille consecutus fuisset eum cum fratribus suis — describes Laban’s arrival, introduced by cumque with pluperfect subjunctive showing temporal sequence.
Main Clause 2: in eodem Monte Galaad fixit tentorium — expresses the parallel action: Laban’s encampment on the same mountain.
Overall Structure: The verse balances Jacob’s settlement with Laban’s pursuit, emphasizing divine providence in their meeting place.

Morphology

  1. Iamque — Lemma: iam + que; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal connector; Translation: “and already”; Notes: Marks narrative transition and the completion of Jacob’s preparations before confrontation.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of extenderat; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Principal actor of the first clause.
  3. extenderat — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “had pitched”; Notes: Expresses completed past action relative to following events.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes location; Translation: “on”; Notes: Locative usage marking the mountain as the place of encampment.
  5. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Refers to Mount Gilead; matches in eodem Monte Galaad later for parallelism.
  6. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of extenderat; Translation: “tent”; Notes: Indicates nomadic dwelling, consistent with patriarchal lifestyle.
  7. cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines conjunction and enclitic for narrative continuity.
  8. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of consecutus fuisset; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Laban; contrasts with Jacob in the first clause.
  9. consecutus — Lemma: consequor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect; Function: with fuisset forms pluperfect subjunctive; Translation: “had overtaken”; Notes: Deponent usage gives active meaning; temporal nuance of completion.
  10. fuisset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active, 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary in periphrastic construction; Translation: “had been”; Notes: Forms pluperfect subjunctive with participle for subordinate clause.
  11. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of consecutus fuisset; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, maintaining object consistency through clauses.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Links Laban to his companions.
  13. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: In Semitic idiom, denotes relatives or allies rather than literal siblings.
  14. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflects Laban’s kin or household retainers.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “on”; Notes: Introduces spatial repetition emphasizing “the same mountain.”
  16. eodem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies Monte; Translation: “the same”; Notes: Expresses equality of place—shared territory implying confrontation.
  17. Monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis, framing the scene geographically.
  18. Galaad — Lemma: Galaad; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: apposition with Monte; Translation: “Galaad”; Notes: Specific site east of Jordan, a place of covenant between Jacob and Laban.
  19. fixit — Lemma: figo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “set up”; Notes: Indicates establishment or pitching of a tent, parallel to extenderat.
  20. tentorium — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of fixit; Translation: “tent” or “camp”; Notes: Reflects nomadic living; completes parallelism with Jacob’s earlier action.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.