Genesis 31:40

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:40 die noctuque æstu urebar, et gelu, fugiebatque somnus ab oculis meis.

by day and night I was scorched by heat, and by cold; and sleep fled from my eyes.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 die by day NOUN ABL.SG.F
2 noctuque and by night ADVERBIAL ABL.SG.F + ENCLITIC -QUE
3 æstu by heat NOUN ABL.SG.M
4 urebar I was being scorched VERB 1SG IMPERFECT PASSIVE INDICATIVE
5 et and CONJUNCTION
6 gelu by cold NOUN ABL.SG.N
7 fugiebatque and was fleeing VERB 3SG IMPERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE + ENCLITIC -QUE
8 somnus sleep NOUN NOM.SG.M
9 ab from PREPOSITION + ABL
10 oculis eyes NOUN ABL.PL.M
11 meis my POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: die noctuque æstu urebar et gelu — expresses continuous suffering through ablatives of time and cause. die noctuque form a temporal double ablative (“by day and by night”), æstu and gelu are ablatives of means (“by heat” and “by cold”), and urebar is the main verb (“I was being scorched”) in the imperfect passive, emphasizing ongoing endurance.
Second Clause: fugiebatque somnus ab oculis meis — compound with enclitic -que linking it to the first. somnus (subject) + fugiebat (imperfect active “was fleeing”) + prepositional phrase ab oculis meis (“from my eyes”) together describe restless labor and sleepless toil.
Syntax Summary: This verse presents a poetic pair of parallel clauses expressing physical hardship: exposure to extremes and loss of rest. The use of imperfect verbs (urebar, fugiebat) conveys habitual suffering during Jacob’s years of service.

Morphology

  1. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “by day”; Notes: Paired with “noctuque” to indicate continuous time frame.
  2. noctuque — Lemma: noctu; Part of Speech: adverbial noun; Form: ablative singular feminine + enclitic -que; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “and by night”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects with “die,” creating rhythmic contrast of “day and night.”
  3. æstu — Lemma: æstus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by heat”; Notes: Signifies daytime heat or hardship under the sun.
  4. urebar — Lemma: uro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular imperfect passive indicative; Function: main verb of the first clause; Translation: “I was being scorched”; Notes: Imperfect conveys ongoing suffering over time.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates elements in a list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins “æstu” and “gelu.”
  6. gelu — Lemma: gelu; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by cold”; Notes: Completes contrast to “æstu,” describing nocturnal hardship.
  7. fugiebatque — Lemma: fugio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “and was fleeing”; Notes: Imperfect indicates habitual action; enclitic connects the two clauses smoothly.
  8. somnus — Lemma: somnus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “fugiebat”; Translation: “sleep”; Notes: Figuratively personified as something fleeing from Jacob’s eyes.
  9. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces the source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates separation or removal.
  10. oculis — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of “ab”; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Common idiom for sleeplessness in Latin narrative.
  11. meis — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: agrees with “oculis”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses personal suffering, completing the phrase “from my eyes.”

 

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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