Genesis 33:6

Posted on February 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 33:6 Et appropinquantes ancillæ et filii earum, incurvati sunt.

And the handmaids and their children, as they approached, bowed down.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 appropinquantes approaching PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.F
3 ancillæ handmaids NOM.PL.F
4 et and CONJ
5 filii sons / children NOM.PL.M
6 earum their GEN.PL.F (POSS.PRON)
7 incurvati they bowed PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
8 sunt are / were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)

Syntax

Main Clause: Et appropinquantes ancillæ et filii earum, incurvati sunt — “And the handmaids and their children, as they approached, bowed down.”
• Conjunction: Et — links this action sequentially after the previous verse.
• Participle: appropinquantes — nominative plural, agreeing with “ancillæ et filii,” expressing simultaneous action.
• Subjects: ancillæ et filii earum — joint plural subject, “the handmaids and their children.”
• Verb Phrase: incurvati sunt — perfect passive (deponent meaning active), “they bowed down.”

The verse describes reverence through gesture as each group approaches Esau, maintaining the narrative rhythm of submission and respect.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links with prior clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues sequential narrative of approach and reverence.
  2. appropinquantes — Lemma: appropinquo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative plural feminine; Function: circumstantial participle describing the approach; Translation: “approaching”; Notes: Expresses simultaneous movement with bowing.
  3. ancillæ — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “handmaids”; Notes: Refers to the servant-wives of Jacob.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins compound subject; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins “ancillæ” with “filii.”
  5. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: second element of compound subject; Translation: “sons / children”; Notes: Denotes offspring of the handmaids.
  6. earum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possessive; Translation: “their”; Notes: Refers back to “ancillæ.”
  7. incurvati — Lemma: incurvo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle, nominative plural masculine; Function: part of periphrastic passive “incurvati sunt”; Translation: “bowed down”; Notes: Expresses completed gesture of humility.
  8. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary forming perfect periphrastic; Translation: “they are / were”; Notes: Combines with participle to express completed respectful action.

 

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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