Genesis 31:46

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:46 dixitque fratribus suis: Afferte lapides. Qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum, comederuntque super eum:

and he said to his brothers: “Bring stones.” And they, gathering them, made a heap, and they ate upon it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixitque and he said VERB 3SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 fratribus to his brothers NOUN DAT.PL.M
3 suis his POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE DAT.PL.M
4 Afferte bring VERB 2PL PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE
5 lapides stones NOUN ACC.PL.M
6 Qui who RELATIVE PRONOUN NOM.PL.M
7 congregantes gathering PARTICIPLE PRESENT ACTIVE NOM.PL.M
8 fecerunt they made VERB 3PL PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
9 tumulum heap / mound NOUN ACC.SG.M
10 comederuntque and they ate VERB 3PL PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE + ENCLITIC -QUE
11 super upon / over PREPOSITION + ACC
12 eum it / him PRONOUN ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: dixitque fratribus suis — perfect verb dixit (“he said”) with enclitic -que connecting to the preceding narrative; indirect object fratribus suis (“to his brothers”).
Direct Speech: Afferte lapides — imperative command; Afferte (“bring”) as 2nd plural imperative and lapides as direct object.
Relative Clause: Qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum — Qui (“who”) introduces relative clause; congregantes is a nominative participle (“gathering”), modifying the implied subject; fecerunt tumulum completes the action (“they made a heap”).
Coordinated Clause: comederuntque super eum — perfect verb comederunt joined by enclitic -que, expressing the act of communal meal (“and they ate upon it”).
Syntax Summary: The sequence depicts communal covenant ritual: command → obedience → construction → shared meal. The alternation of perfects and participles lends narrative fluidity, portraying unity and solemnity of purpose.

Morphology

  1. dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of first clause; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Enclitic -que links to previous sentence, continuing narrative action.
  2. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object of “dixit”; Translation: “to (his) brothers”; Notes: Refers to kinsmen or associates present at the covenant.
  3. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: agrees with “fratribus”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive possessive referring to Jacob.
  4. Afferte — Lemma: affero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: direct command; Translation: “bring”; Notes: Expresses collective instruction to gather stones.
  5. lapides — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “Afferte”; Translation: “stones”; Notes: Material for the commemorative heap.
  6. Qui — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “fecerunt”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause describing the action of the brothers.
  7. congregantes — Lemma: congrego; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active; Function: modifies “qui”; Translation: “gathering”; Notes: Expresses simultaneous action preceding the main verb.
  8. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “they made”; Notes: Indicates completion of the mound construction.
  9. tumulum — Lemma: tumulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “fecerunt”; Translation: “heap / mound”; Notes: Represents physical memorial of covenant.
  10. comederuntque — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: third person plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “and they ate”; Notes: Covenant meal marking fellowship and ratification.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “upon / over”; Notes: Indicates site of sacrificial meal.
  12. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: “it / him”; Notes: Refers to the mound or stone heap constructed.

 

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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