Genesis 31:51

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:51 Dixitque rursus ad Iacob: En tumulus hic, et lapis quem erexi inter me et te,

And he said again to Jacob: “Behold this mound, and the stone which I have set up between me and you,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said VERB 3SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 rursus again ADVERB
3 ad to / toward PREPOSITION + ACC
4 Iacob Jacob PROPER NOUN ACC.SG.M
5 En behold INTERJECTION
6 tumulus mound NOUN NOM.SG.M
7 hic this DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUN NOM.SG.M
8 et and CONJUNCTION
9 lapis stone NOUN NOM.SG.M
10 quem which RELATIVE PRONOUN ACC.SG.M
11 erexi I set up VERB 1SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
12 inter between PREPOSITION + ACC
13 me me PRONOUN ACC.SG.1
14 et and CONJUNCTION
15 te you PRONOUN ACC.SG.2

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque rursus ad Iacob — perfect verb dixit with enclitic -que (“and he said”) introduces direct speech. rursus (“again”) marks repetition, while ad Iacob indicates the addressee of the speech.
Direct Speech: En tumulus hic, et lapis quem erexi inter me et te — introduced by the interjection En (“behold”). tumulus hic (“this mound”) and lapis (“the stone”) serve as nominative subjects. quem erexi is a relative clause modifying lapis, with erexi as its verb (“I have set up”). inter me et te specifies relational placement (“between me and you”).
Syntax Summary: The structure juxtaposes two covenantal symbols — the mound and the stone — within direct speech. The demonstrative hic draws attention to the physical evidence of the covenant, while erexi personalizes the act, attributing it to Laban himself.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this statement with the preceding verse, continuing narrative flow.
  2. rursus — Lemma: rursus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “again”; Notes: Indicates repetition of dialogue, emphasizing continuity.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: shows direction toward someone; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Marks recipient of speech.
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Addressee of the speech.
  5. En — Lemma: en; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: introduces exclamation or emphasis; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Used to draw attention to a visible object.
  6. tumulus — Lemma: tumulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “mound”; Notes: Symbol of covenantal boundary.
  7. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “tumulus”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Near demonstrative emphasizing proximity.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links coordinate nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two covenantal objects.
  9. lapis — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of relative clause; Translation: “stone”; Notes: Represents the physical monument raised by Laban.
  10. quem — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “erexi”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to “lapis.”
  11. erexi — Lemma: erigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have set up”; Notes: Indicates completed covenantal action by Laban.
  12. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses position between two parties; Translation: “between”; Notes: Establishes relational space in the covenant.
  13. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular first person; Function: object of “inter”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Laban himself.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins “me” and “te.”
  15. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular second person; Function: object of “inter”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the other covenant party.

 

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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