Genesis 33:3

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:3 Et ipse progrediens adoravit pronus in terram septies, donec appropinquaret frater eius.

And he himself, going forward, bowed down to the ground seven times, until he approached his brother.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M (INTENS.PRON)
3 progrediens going forward PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
4 adoravit he bowed down 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 pronus face down NOM.SG.M (ADJ)
6 in to / toward / upon PREP+ACC
7 terram ground ACC.SG.F
8 septies seven times ADV
9 donec until SUBORD.CONJ
10 appropinquaret he approached 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
11 frater brother NOM.SG.M
12 eius his GEN.SG.M (POSS.PRON)

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Et ipse progrediens — “And he himself, going forward.”
• Conjunction: Et — links with the preceding narrative.
• Subject: ipse — intensive pronoun emphasizing Jacob’s personal action.
• Participle: progrediens — circumstantial participle describing the motion preceding his bowing.

Main Clause: adoravit pronus in terram septies — “he bowed down to the ground seven times.”
• Verb: adoravit — perfect tense, main action of reverence.
• Adjective: pronus — nominative predicate adjective, describing posture (“face down”).
• Prepositional Phrase: in terram — accusative of direction, “to the ground.”
• Adverbial Modifier: septies — frequency adverb, “seven times,” expressing completeness or reverent intensity.

Subordinate Clause: donec appropinquaret frater eius — “until his brother approached.”
• Conjunction: donec — introduces temporal clause of duration.
• Verb: appropinquaret — imperfect subjunctive, expressing anticipated or pending action.
• Subject: frater eius — “his brother,” nominative subject of the clause.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential connector linking to prior verse.
  2. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject emphasizing the agent; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Highlights Jacob’s personal initiative.
  3. progrediens — Lemma: progredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle); Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial modifier of main clause; Translation: “going forward”; Notes: Describes preparatory movement toward Esau.
  4. adoravit — Lemma: adorno (in sense of adorare); Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he bowed down”; Notes: Indicates act of reverence or obeisance.
  5. pronus — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective agreeing with “ipse”; Translation: “face down”; Notes: Describes Jacob’s humble posture.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to,” “upon”; Notes: Introduces the direction of bowing.
  7. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “ground”; Notes: Physical point of contact in prostration.
  8. septies — Lemma: septies; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adverb of frequency; Translation: “seven times”; Notes: Symbolic of completeness or ritual reverence.
  9. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “until”; Notes: Marks endpoint of repeated action.
  10. appropinquaret — Lemma: appropinquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he approached”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses anticipation or uncertainty.
  11. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Refers to Esau.
  12. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “frater”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Indicates possession—Esau as Jacob’s 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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