Genesis 32:23

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:23 Traductisque omnibus quæ ad se pertinebant,

And when he had brought across all things which belonged to him,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Traductisque and having been brought across ABL.PL.N (PERF.PASS.PTCP + ENCLITIC -QUE)
2 omnibus all things ABL.PL.N
3 quæ which REL.PRON.NOM.PL.N
4 ad to, toward PREP+ACC
5 se himself ACC.SG (REFL.PRON)
6 pertinebant belonged 3PL.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Traductisque omnibus quæ ad se pertinebant — an adverbial phrase expressing a temporal circumstance, “after he had brought across all things which belonged to him.”
• Participle: Traductisque — perfect passive participle, agreeing with omnibus.
• Noun: omnibus — neuter plural ablative, serving as the logical subject of the participle.
• Relative clause: quæ ad se pertinebant — modifies omnibus, explaining which things are meant.
• Verb: pertinebant — imperfect indicative, describing continual possession.
• Reflexive pronoun: se — refers to Jacob.
• Functionally, this ablative absolute sets the stage for the next main action in the narrative.

Morphology

  1. Traductisque — Lemma: traduco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural neuter, perfect passive participle, with enclitic -que; Function: agrees with “omnibus” in the ablative absolute; Translation: “and having been brought across”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this clause with the previous statement.
  2. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: subject of the participle in the ablative absolute; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s possessions.
  3. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of “pertinebant”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause modifying “omnibus.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates relation or connection; Translation: “to, toward”; Notes: Used here to express possession or association.
  5. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “himself”; Notes: Refers back to Jacob as the possessor.
  6. pertinebant — Lemma: pertineo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: predicate of the relative clause; Translation: “belonged”; Notes: Imperfect indicates continuous or habitual relationship.

 

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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