Genesis 31:33

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:33 Ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liæ, et utriusque famulæ, non invenit. Cumque intrasset tentorium Rachelis,

Then Laban, having entered the tent of Jacob and of Lia, and of both maidservants, did not find anything. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ingressus having entered PERFECT PARTICIPLE NOM.SG.M (DEPONENT)
2 itaque therefore CONJUNCTION
3 Laban Laban PROPER NOUN NOM.SG.M
4 tabernaculum tent NOUN ACC.SG.N
5 Iacob of Jacob PROPER NOUN GEN.SG
6 et and CONJUNCTION
7 Liæ of Leah PROPER NOUN GEN.SG.F
8 et and CONJUNCTION
9 utriusque of both PRONOUN GEN.SG (UTERQUE)
10 famulæ maidservant NOUN GEN.SG.F
11 non not ADVERB NEGATIVE
12 invenit he found VERB 3SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
13 Cumque and when SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION
14 intrasset he had entered VERB 3SG PLUPERFECT ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
15 tentorium tent NOUN ACC.SG.N
16 Rachelis of Rachel PROPER NOUN GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Subject Laban (agent) + Verb invenit (finite verb, perfect) + Negator non (clausal negation) + Participial Frame Ingressus (circumstantial participle modifying the subject).
Objects / Complements: tabernaculum (direct object of the action “enter” within the participial clause) with dependent genitives Iacob, Liæ, utriusque famulæ (“tent of Jacob and of Leah, and of both maidservants”).
Connectives: itaque (inferential link); et (coordination of genitives); Cumque (subordinator introducing temporal-circumstantial clause).
Subordinate Clause: Cumque + intrasset (pluperfect subjunctive, temporal) governing object tentorium with genitive Rachelis. The subordinate clause provides the subsequent action in the search sequence.

Morphology

  1. Ingressus — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verbal participle (deponent); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the subject; Translation: “having entered”; Notes: Deponent verb forms a perfect participle with active sense, setting background action prior to the finite verb.
  2. itaque — Lemma: itaque; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable particle; Function: inferential connector linking to prior context; Translation: “therefore/then”; Notes: Common Vulgate connective marking consequence or narrative advance.
  3. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: grammatical subject of the main clause; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Indeclinable behavior is sometimes observed in biblical names, but here nominative role is clear from syntax.
  4. tabernaculum — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of the participial verb “enter”; Translation: “tent”; Notes: Governed semantically by the participial action “having entered.”
  5. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular (indeclinable form used for the genitive); Function: dependent genitive with “tabernaculum”; Translation: “of Jacob”; Notes: Vulgate often treats Hebrew names with simplified Latin case marking; context supplies the genitive sense.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links genitive dependents; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordinator joining parallel nouns.
  7. Liæ — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: second dependent genitive with “tabernaculum”; Translation: “of Leah”; Notes: First declension proper name with classical genitive ending -æ.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds a further genitive phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Chains a third genitive group to the series.
  9. utriusque — Lemma: uterque, utraque, utrumque; Part of Speech: pronominal adjective; Form: genitive singular (common gender) agreeing with the following noun in sense; Function: quantifier “of both”; Translation: “of both”; Notes: Although singular in form, it denotes duality; agreement is semantic with “famulæ.”
  10. famulæ — Lemma: famula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: head of the genitive phrase governed by “utriusque”; Translation: “maidservant”; Notes: The construction “utriusque + genitive singular” expresses “of both maidservants.”
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable negative particle; Function: negates the finite verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Standard clausal negation placed immediately before the verb.
  12. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main finite verb of the clause; Translation: “found”; Notes: Perfect aspect portrays a completed search result (“did not find”).
  13. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction with enclitic coordinator; Form: invariable; Function: introduces a temporal clause while also linking to the previous context; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The -que supplies connective force to the cum-clause.
  14. intrasset — Lemma: intro, intrare; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of the temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “he had entered”; Notes: Subjunctive is regular after temporal “cum” in narrative, marking prior action relative to the main line.
  15. tentorium — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “intrasset”; Translation: “tent”; Notes: Synonymous field with “tabernaculum,” often used for portable dwelling.
  16. Rachelis — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive with “tentorium”; Translation: “of Rachel”; Notes: Hebrew name adapted to Latin case usage; indicates possession/association.

 

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.