Genesis 31:53

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:53 Deus Abraham, et Deus Nachor iudicet inter nos, Deus patris eorum. Iuravit ergo Iacob per timorem patris sui Isaac:

May the God of Abraham and the God of Nachor judge between us, the God of their father. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Deus God NOUN NOM.SG.M
2 Abraham Abraham PROPER NOUN GEN.SG.M (HEBRAISM)
3 et and CONJUNCTION
4 Deus God NOUN NOM.SG.M
5 Nachor Nachor PROPER NOUN GEN.SG.M (HEBRAISM)
6 iudicet may judge VERB 3SG PRESENT ACTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
7 inter between PREPOSITION + ACC
8 nos us PRONOUN ACC.PL.1
9 Deus God NOUN NOM.SG.M (APPOSITIVE)
10 patris of the father NOUN GEN.SG.M
11 eorum of them / their PRONOUN GEN.PL.M
12 Iuravit he swore VERB 3SG PERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE
13 ergo therefore ADVERB
14 Iacob Jacob PROPER NOUN NOM.SG.M
15 per by PREPOSITION + ACC
16 timorem fear NOUN ACC.SG.M
17 patris of the father NOUN GEN.SG.M
18 sui his REFLEXIVE PRONOUN GEN.SG.M
19 Isaac Isaac PROPER NOUN GEN.SG.M (HEBRAISM)

Syntax

Optative Clause: Deus Abraham, et Deus Nachor iudicet inter nos — subjunctive iudicet expresses a wish or invocation: “may the God of Abraham and the God of Nachor judge between us.” The double Deus functions distributively, each governing a genitive proper name, a Semitic construction reflecting Hebrew syntax.
Apposition: Deus patris eorum — an explanatory apposition identifying the same divine entity as “the God of their father,” uniting both Abraham and Nachor under one ancestral deity.
Second Clause: Iuravit ergo Iacob per timorem patris sui Isaac — independent narrative clause. Iuravit is perfect tense (“he swore”), with per + accusative expressing the formula of oath. The phrase timorem patris sui Isaac (“the fear of his father Isaac”) denotes a reverential title for YHWH, reflecting patriarchal monotheism through relational reverence.
Syntax Summary: The verse presents a covenantal invocation of divine witness and a reciprocal oath. Laban appeals to a shared ancestral God, while Jacob swears by the specific reverential title of his father’s God, distinguishing covenantal allegiance.

Morphology

  1. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “iudicet”; Translation: “God”; Notes: Subject repeated for emphasis, reflecting dual ancestral invocation.
  2. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (Hebraic genitive); Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: Retains Semitic construct pattern.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins two coordinate nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects dual divine references.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject (coordinated with first “Deus”); Translation: “God”; Notes: Parallel nominative for second invocation.
  5. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (Hebraic genitive); Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of Nachor”; Notes: Abraham’s brother; shows shared lineage.
  6. iudicet — Lemma: iudico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active subjunctive; Function: main verb of optative clause; Translation: “may judge”; Notes: Expresses invocation or wish, not assertion.
  7. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates mediation; Translation: “between”; Notes: Marks relational boundary of judgment.
  8. nos — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural first person; Function: object of “inter”; Translation: “us”; Notes: Refers to Laban and Jacob.
  9. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition; Translation: “God”; Notes: Identifies the same deity as that of their father.
  10. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Refers to the shared patriarch of Abraham and Nachor.
  11. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “their”; Notes: Specifies “their father,” linking the patriarchal lineage.
  12. Iuravit — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of narrative clause; Translation: “he swore”; Notes: Expresses solemn oath action.
  13. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks narrative consequence.
  14. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: subject of “iuravit”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch acting in oath ritual.
  15. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates instrument or means; Translation: “by”; Notes: Introduces object of oath.
  16. timorem — Lemma: timor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “per”; Translation: “fear”; Notes: Metonymic expression meaning “the object of reverential fear.”
  17. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Possessive relation specifying the referent of fear.
  18. sui — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun (reflexive); Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “patris”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to subject “Jacob.”
  19. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (Hebraic); Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of Isaac”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s father; reverential epithet of God.

 

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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