Genesis 32:27

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:27 Ait ergo: Quod nomen est tibi? Respondit: Iacob.

And he said: “What is your name?” He replied: “Jacob.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore CONJ/ADV
3 Quod what INTERROG.PRON.NOM.SG.N
4 nomen name NOM.SG.N
5 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 tibi to you DAT.SG (PRON)
7 Respondit he replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M (PROPN.INDECL)

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Ait ergo — “And he said,” introducing direct speech; ergo serves as a narrative connective (“therefore” or “then”).
Direct Question: Quod nomen est tibi? — interrogative clause, “What is your name?”
• Predicate noun: nomen — nominative subject complement.
• Verb: est — copula linking nomen and tibi.
• Dative of possession: tibi — “to you,” expressing the possessor.

Main Clause 2: Respondit — introduces Jacob’s reply.
Direct Speech: Iacob — simple nominative answer functioning as predicate nominative, “Jacob.”

Morphology

  1. Ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common narrative verb used instead of “dixit.”
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces logical or narrative consequence; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Transitional particle linking narrative events.
  3. Quod — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: interrogative subject or predicate; Translation: “what”; Notes: Used to ask for identification or definition.
  4. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject complement in question; Translation: “name”; Notes: Predicate nominative with “est.”
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Connects the subject “nomen” and dative “tibi.”
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: dative of possession; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Expresses possession instead of genitive in Latin idiom.
  7. Respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: introduces response; Translation: “he replied”; Notes: Common verb for direct dialogue response.
  8. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Hebrew name indeclinable in Latin.

 

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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