Genesis 32:13

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:13 Cumque dormisset ibi nocte illa, separavit de his quæ habebat, munera Esau fratri suo,

And when he had slept there that night, he separated from what he had, gifts for Esau his brother.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 dormisset had slept 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 ibi there ADV
4 nocte night ABL.SG.F
5 illa that ABL.SG.F.DEM
6 separavit he separated 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 de from PREP+ABL
8 his these things ABL.PL.N.DEM
9 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL
10 habebat he had 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
11 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
12 Esau Esau DAT.SG.M
13 fratri brother DAT.SG.M
14 suo his DAT.SG.M.REFL

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque dormisset ibi nocte illa — Cumque introduces a temporal subordinate clause, with dormisset in the pluperfect subjunctive expressing anteriority (“after he had slept”).
Main Clause: separavit de his quæ habebat munera Esau fratri suo — the verb separavit governs both a partitive prepositional phrase de his quæ habebat (“from what he had”) and its direct object munera (“gifts”). The indirect object is Esau fratri suo (“for Esau his brother”).

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: compound; Function: introduces temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines coordination and subordination in one connective.
  2. dormisset — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: main verb in temporal clause; Translation: “had slept”; Notes: Subjunctive following cum for circumstantial past action.
  3. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s resting place during the night.
  4. nocte — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: “night”; Notes: Temporal expression indicating when he slept.
  5. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies nocte; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the specific night of his prayer.
  6. separavit — Lemma: separo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he separated”; Notes: Marks deliberate action following rest and prayer.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses separation or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces partitive relation.
  8. his — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: “these things”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s possessions and livestock.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of habebat; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces relative clause describing the possessions.
  10. habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “he had”; Notes: Imperfect denotes continued possession.
  11. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of separavit; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: Represents offerings to appease Esau.
  12. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Recipient of the gifts; parallel with fratri suo.
  13. fratri — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: apposition with Esau; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Reinforces familial relationship underlying the gift.
  14. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies fratri; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflects reflexive possession, Jacob → “his own brother.”

 

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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