Genesis 33:17

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:17 Et Iacob venit in Socoth: ubi ædificata domo et fixis tentoriis appellavit nomen loci illius Socoth, id est, tabernacula.

And Jacob came to Socoth, where, after building a house and setting up tents, he called the name of that place Socoth, that is, tabernacles.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M (PROPN)
3 venit came 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 in into / to PREP+ACC
5 Socoth Succoth ACC.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
6 ubi where REL.ADV
7 ædificata having been built PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.F
8 domo house ABL.SG.F
9 et and CONJ
10 fixis having been fixed / set up PERF.PTCP.ABL.PL.N
11 tentoriis tents ABL.PL.N
12 appellavit he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 nomen name ACC.SG.N
14 loci of the place GEN.SG.M
15 illius that GEN.SG.M (DEMONS.PRON)
16 Socoth Succoth ACC.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
17 id that NOM.SG.N (PRON)
18 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
19 tabernacula tabernacles / tents NOM.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Et Iacob venit in Socoth — “And Jacob came to Socoth.”
• Subject: Iacob — nominative proper noun, acting subject.
• Verb: venit — perfect tense, narrating completed arrival.
• Prepositional Phrase: in Socoth — destination expressed with accusative.

Subordinate Clause: ubi ædificata domo et fixis tentoriis appellavit nomen loci illius Socoth — “where, after building a house and setting up tents, he called the name of that place Socoth.”
• Conjunction: ubi — introduces relative clause of circumstance.
• Ablative Absolutes: ædificata domo and fixis tentoriis — “with the house having been built” and “the tents having been set up.”
• Verb: appellavit — main verb of the clause.
• Object: nomen loci illius Socoth — double accusative construction (“he called the name of that place Socoth”).

Appositive Explanation: id est, tabernacula — “that is, tabernacles.”
• Verb: est — copula defining meaning.
• Noun: tabernacula — nominative plural, explanatory translation of “Socoth.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects narrative clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continuation of the previous episode.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The patriarch returning safely from his journey.
  3. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “came”; Notes: Perfect used for narrative completion.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction toward a place; Translation: “to / into”; Notes: Expresses motion toward Socoth.
  5. Socoth — Lemma: Socoth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular (indeclinable); Function: object of “in”; Translation: “Socoth”; Notes: Hebrew name meaning “tabernacles.”
  6. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “where”; Notes: Relates to location of action.
  7. ædificata — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle, nominative singular feminine; Function: in ablative absolute with “domo”; Translation: “having been built”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s house.
  8. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: in ablative absolute; Translation: “house”; Notes: Ablative of circumstance.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins two ablative absolutes; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two preparatory acts.
  10. fixis — Lemma: figo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle, ablative plural neuter; Function: in ablative absolute with “tentoriis”; Translation: “having been fixed / set up”; Notes: Describes completion of tent setup.
  11. tentoriis — Lemma: tentorium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: in ablative absolute; Translation: “tents”; Notes: Refers to temporary shelters of his herds and people.
  12. appellavit — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of naming action; Translation: “he called”; Notes: Often used in Scripture for naming places after events.
  13. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “appellavit”; Translation: “name”; Notes: With double accusative construction.
  14. loci — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the place”; Notes: Specifies whose name was called.
  15. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “loci”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers back to the newly settled location.
  16. Socoth — Lemma: Socoth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular (indeclinable); Function: object complement; Translation: “Socoth”; Notes: Place-name meaning “tabernacles.”
  17. id — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the name “Socoth.”
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Introduces explanatory gloss.
  19. tabernacula — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “tabernacles”; Notes: Latin gloss for “Socoth,” from Hebrew סֻכּוֹת (sukkōt).

 

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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