Genesis 31:9

Posted on January 31, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 31:9 Tulitque Deus substantiam patris vestri, et dedit mihi.

And God took away your father’s possessions and gave them to me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulitque and took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Deus God NOM.SG.M
3 substantiam possessions ACC.SG.F
4 patris of (the) father GEN.SG.M
5 vestri your GEN.SG.M.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 dedit gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Tulitque Deus substantiam patris vestri — subject Deus performs the perfective action of seizing property.
Coordinate Clause: et dedit mihi — linked by et to express transfer of ownership from Laban to Jacob.
Object and Genitive: substantiam patris vestri — accusative object with possessive genitive phrase specifying whose wealth was taken.

Morphology

  1. Tulitque — Lemma: fero + -que; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “and took”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this clause with what precedes, expressing continuity in divine action. The perfect tense signifies completed divine intervention.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the agent of justice in the narrative, vindicating Jacob’s labor.
  3. substantiam — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Tulit; Translation: “possessions”; Notes: In Vulgate Latin, substantia often denotes property or wealth, implying Laban’s material assets.
  4. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (the) father”; Notes: Indicates possession, specifying that the wealth belonged to Rachel and Leah’s father, Laban.
  5. vestri — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Second-person plural possessive referring collectively to Rachel and Leah.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Used to join successive divine acts, emphasizing sequence: taking and giving.
  7. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes decisive transfer of Laban’s goods to Jacob by divine decree.
  8. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dedit; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Expresses beneficiary of divine restitution — Jacob as the rightful recipient of God’s justice.

 

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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