Genesis 33:10

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:10 Dixitque Iacob: Noli ita, obsecro: sed si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, accipe munusculum de manibus meis: sic enim vidi faciem tuam, quasi viderim vultum Dei: esto mihi propitius,

And Jacob said: “Do not be so, I beg you; but if I have found favor in your eyes, receive the little gift from my hands; for truly I have seen your face, as though I had seen the face of God: be gracious to me,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M (PROPN.INDECL)
3 Noli do not 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP (NEGATIVE)
4 ita thus / so ADV
5 obsecro I beg / I beseech 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 sed but CONJ
7 si if COND.CONJ
8 inveni I have found 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 gratiam favor / grace ACC.SG.F
10 in in / within PREP+ABL
11 oculis eyes ABL.PL.M
12 tuis your ABL.PL.M (POSS.ADJ)
13 accipe receive 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
14 munusculum little gift ACC.SG.N
15 de from / out of PREP+ABL
16 manibus hands ABL.PL.F
17 meis my ABL.PL.F (POSS.ADJ)
18 sic thus / so ADV
19 enim for / truly CONJ
20 vidi I have seen 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 faciem face ACC.SG.F
22 tuam your ACC.SG.F (POSS.ADJ)
23 quasi as though / as if ADV.CONJ
24 viderim I had seen 1SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
25 vultum face / countenance ACC.SG.M
26 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
27 esto be 2SG.FUT.ACT.IMP
28 mihi to me DAT.SG (PERS.PRON)
29 propitius gracious / favorable NOM.SG.M (ADJ)

Syntax

Opening Speech: Dixitque Iacob — “And Jacob said.”
• Verb: Dixitque — perfect tense introducing direct address.
• Subject: Iacob — nominative, the speaker.

Appeal: Noli ita, obsecro — “Do not be so, I beg you.”
• Verb: Noli — negative imperative; “do not.”
• Adverb: ita — “thus,” referring to Esau’s refusal.
• Main Verb of Plea: obsecro — “I beg,” a direct and emotional entreaty.

Conditional Clause: sed si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis — “but if I have found favor in your eyes.”
• Verb: inveni — perfect indicative, “I have found.”
• Object: gratiam — “favor.”
• Prepositional Phrase: in oculis tuis — idiomatic for “in your sight” (pleasing to you).

Main Request: accipe munusculum de manibus meis — “receive the little gift from my hands.”
• Imperative: accipe — polite command.
• Object: munusculum — diminutive, expressing humility.
• Prepositional Phrase: de manibus meis — source of offering.

Rationale: sic enim vidi faciem tuam, quasi viderim vultum Dei — “for truly I have seen your face, as though I had seen the face of God.”
• Conjunction: sic enim — introduces reason with emphasis.
• Comparison: quasi viderim — subjunctive of comparison.
• Parallel Structure: faciem tuam / vultum Dei — human and divine imagery juxtaposed.

Final Petition: esto mihi propitius — “be gracious to me.”
• Verb: esto — imperative of “sum,” here a request or blessing formula.
• Dative: mihi — indirect object, “to me.”
• Predicate Adjective: propitius — “favorable,” expressing plea for reconciliation.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular + enclitic -que; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Continuation of dialogue narrative.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov), the speaker.
  3. Noli — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: negative command; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Often followed by infinitive (implied “refuse”).
  4. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: intensifier; Translation: “thus / so”; Notes: Refers to Esau’s refusal or attitude.
  5. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 1st singular; Function: expression of entreaty; Translation: “I beg”; Notes: Polite and urgent form of supplication.
  6. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adversative; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces contrastive condition.
  7. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: conditional; Translation: “if”; Notes: Sets hypothetical tone.
  8. inveni — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “I have found”; Notes: Perfect aspect indicates result of divine favor.
  9. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “inveni”; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Frequent idiom “invenire gratiam in oculis alicuius.”
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location or relation; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used metaphorically for acceptance.
  11. oculis — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Metaphor for perception or judgment.
  12. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies “oculis”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers respectfully to Esau.
  13. accipe — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: “receive”; Notes: Imperative of politeness, expressing deference.
  14. munusculum — Lemma: munusculum; Part of Speech: noun (diminutive of munus); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “little gift”; Notes: Diminutive conveys humility and affection.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the gift.
  16. manibus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “hands”; Notes: Symbol of voluntary offering.
  17. meis — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies “manibus”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s personal involvement in the offering.
  18. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: intensifier; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Prepares for explanation introduced by “enim.”
  19. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: postpositive; Function: introduces reason; Translation: “for”; Notes: Marks causal relationship.
  20. vidi — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 1st singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I have seen”; Notes: Indicates perception of reconciliation.
  21. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “vidi”; Translation: “face”; Notes: Used metaphorically for countenance.
  22. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “faciem”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Esau’s reconciled expression.
  23. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: conjunction / adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as though”; Notes: Establishes simile of divine encounter.
  24. viderim — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive, 1st singular; Function: verb in comparative clause; Translation: “I had seen”; Notes: Subjunctive mood expresses hypothetical or imagined perception—Jacob likens Esau’s merciful face to the divine encounter at Peniel.
  25. vultum — Lemma: vultus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “viderim”; Translation: “face / countenance”; Notes: Often used for expression or aspect of the face, emphasizing dignity or divine favor.
  26. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of God”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, recalling Jacob’s prior vision and struggle at Peniel.
  27. esto — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active imperative, 2nd singular; Function: exhortation; Translation: “be”; Notes: Used here as a request—“please be”—rather than a command, expressing humility.
  28. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient of the favor or grace being requested.
  29. propitius — Lemma: propitius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective complement of “esto”; Translation: “gracious / favorable”; Notes: Common in liturgical and devotional Latin, used to denote reconciliation or divine-like mercy.

 

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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