Genesis 31:4

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:4 Misit, et vocavit Rachel et Liam in agrum, ubi pascebat greges,

He sent and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he was feeding the flocks,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Misit he sent 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 vocavit he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Rachel Rachel ACC.SG.F.PROPN
5 et and CONJ
6 Liam Leah ACC.SG.F.PROPN
7 in into PREP+ACC
8 agrum field ACC.SG.M
9 ubi where CONJ.REL
10 pascebat he was feeding 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
11 greges flocks ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Misit et vocavit Rachel et Liam in agrum — compound main clause with coordinated verbs (Misit, vocavit); both share Jacob as subject.
Relative Clause: ubi pascebat greges — modifies agrum, describing the place where the flocks were being tended.
Direct Object: Rachel et Liam — accusative feminine proper nouns as objects of vocavit.

Morphology

  1. Misit — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: first main verb; Translation: “he sent”; Notes: Refers to Jacob dispatching a messenger or signal to summon his wives.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates Misit and vocavit in sequential narrative.
  3. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he called”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s verbal act of summoning Rachel and Leah.
  4. Rachel — Lemma: Rachel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of vocavit; Translation: “Rachel”; Notes: Proper name of Jacob’s beloved wife, here uninflected in Latin.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins two accusatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates Rachel and Liam.
  6. Liam — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: second direct object of vocavit; Translation: “Leah”; Notes: Sister of Rachel, both wives called for private discussion.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward place; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks destination of movement (the field).
  8. agrum — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “field”; Notes: Place where Jacob tended his flocks, setting for the following discourse.
  9. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “where”; Notes: Refers back to agrum.
  10. pascebat — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “he was feeding”; Notes: Describes Jacob’s continuous action of tending the flocks.
  11. greges — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of pascebat; Translation: “flocks”; Notes: Symbol of Jacob’s wealth and divine blessing.

 

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.