Genesis 31:49

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

49 Intueatur et iudicet Dominus inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis,

May the LORD look upon and judge between us when we shall have departed from one another,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Intueatur may he look upon VERB 3SG PRESENT ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
2 et and CONJUNCTION
3 iudicet may he judge VERB 3SG PRESENT ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
4 Dominus the LORD NOUN NOM.SG.M
5 inter between PREPOSITION + ACC
6 nos us PRONOUN ACC.PL.1
7 quando when CONJUNCTION TEMPORAL
8 recesserimus we shall have departed VERB 1PL FUTURE PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
9 a from PREPOSITION + ABL
10 nobis one another / ourselves PRONOUN ABL.PL.1 (REFLEXIVE)

Syntax

Optative Main Clause: Intueatur et iudicet Dominus — both verbs (intueatur “may he look upon,” iudicet “may he judge”) are in the present subjunctive, expressing a solemn wish or invocation. Dominus is the nominative subject, referring to YHWH as the divine arbiter.
Prepositional Phrase: inter nos — expresses the sphere of judgment (“between us”), establishing a legal and moral boundary within the covenant.
Temporal Clause: quando recesserimus a nobis — introduced by quando (“when”); verb recesserimus (future perfect) indicates the time of future separation; a nobis functions reflexively, signifying mutual departure (“from one another”).
Syntax Summary: The verse functions as a judicial invocation, calling upon YHWH to serve as perpetual witness and judge beyond the physical presence of the parties. The use of future perfect with quando projects the accountability into future time, reinforcing the covenant’s enduring validity.

Morphology

  1. Intueatur — Lemma: intueor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: third person singular present subjunctive deponent; Function: first verb of optative clause; Translation: “may he look upon”; Notes: Deponent form conveying solemn invocation to divine oversight.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinated verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Unites dual acts of observation and judgment.
  3. iudicet — Lemma: iudico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: second verb of optative clause; Translation: “may he judge”; Notes: Expresses appeal to divine justice.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of both verbs; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as divine judge and witness.
  5. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses relation or mediation; Translation: “between”; Notes: Establishes judicial sphere between two parties.
  6. nos — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural first person; Function: object of “inter”; Translation: “us”; Notes: Denotes the covenant participants, Jacob and Laban.
  7. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Common temporal conjunction marking condition of future action.
  8. recesserimus — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “we shall have departed”; Notes: Indicates action completed prior to the judgment implied.
  9. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks mutual parting of the two men.
  10. nobis — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural first person; Function: object of preposition “a”; Translation: “from us / from one another”; Notes: Reflexive use indicating reciprocal separation rather than external direction.

 

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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