Genesis 31:47

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:47 quem vocavit Laban Tumulum testis: et Iacob, Acervum testimonii, uterque iuxta proprietatem linguæ suæ.

and Laban called it “Tumulus of Witness,” and Jacob, “Heap of Testimony,” each according to the property of his own language.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quem which / whom RELATIVE PRONOUN ACC.SG.M
2 vocavit he called VERB 3SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
3 Laban Laban PROPER NOUN NOM.SG.M
4 Tumulum mound / heap NOUN ACC.SG.M
5 testis of witness NOUN GEN.SG.M
6 et and CONJUNCTION
7 Iacob Jacob PROPER NOUN NOM.SG.M
8 Acervum heap NOUN ACC.SG.M
9 testimonii of testimony NOUN GEN.SG.N
10 uterque each PRONOUN NOM.SG.M
11 iuxta according to PREPOSITION + ACC
12 proprietatem property / peculiarity NOUN ACC.SG.F
13 linguæ of language NOUN GEN.SG.F
14 suæ his own POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Relative Clause: quem vocavit Laban Tumulum testis — quem (“which”) refers to the heap from the previous verse; vocavit is the main verb (“he called”), with Laban as subject and Tumulum testis as the predicate accusative naming the object.
Coordinated Clause: et Iacob, Acervum testimonii — ellipsis of vocavit; Iacob as subject of the implied verb; Acervum testimonii parallels Tumulum testis as the Hebrew (or Aramaic) equivalent.
Final Phrase: uterque iuxta proprietatem linguæ suæ — uterque (“each”) is nominative subject; iuxta governs accusative proprietatem; linguæ suæ is genitive phrase defining the standard of naming (“according to the property of his own language”).
Syntax Summary: The verse presents a parallel construction contrasting Laban’s Aramaic naming with Jacob’s Hebrew naming. The structure emphasizes linguistic identity and covenantal equality, framed in a balanced chiastic order: action (naming) + correspondence (each in his language).

Morphology

  1. quem — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “vocavit”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the heap of stones from prior verse.
  2. vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “he called”; Notes: Introduces the act of naming.
  3. Laban — Lemma: Laban; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: subject of “vocavit”; Translation: “Laban”; Notes: Patriarch’s Aramaic designation of the covenant heap.
  4. Tumulum — Lemma: tumulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative (object complement); Translation: “mound / heap”; Notes: Appositional to “quem,” identifying the object named.
  5. testis — Lemma: testis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of witness”; Notes: Specifies purpose of the heap—serving as witness.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects parallel clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Laban’s and Jacob’s naming acts.
  7. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: implied subject of second “vocavit”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Parallel subject contrasting Laban.
  8. Acervum — Lemma: acervus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative (object complement); Translation: “heap”; Notes: Corresponds semantically to “Tumulum.”
  9. testimonii — Lemma: testimonium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of testimony”; Notes: Defines the heap’s symbolic purpose.
  10. uterque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of final phrase; Translation: “each”; Notes: Refers to both Laban and Jacob collectively.
  11. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses accordance or conformity; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Introduces measure of linguistic distinction.
  12. proprietatem — Lemma: proprietas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “iuxta”; Translation: “property / peculiarity”; Notes: Describes the idiomatic character of each language.
  13. linguæ — Lemma: lingua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive modifying “proprietatem”; Translation: “of language”; Notes: Refers to Aramaic (Laban) and Hebrew (Jacob).
  14. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: agrees with “linguæ”; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive possessive emphasizing individual linguistic identity.

 

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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