Genesis 34:11

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:11 Sed et Sichem ad patrem et ad fratres eius ait: Inveniam gratiam coram vobis: et quæcumque statueritis, dabo:

But Sichem also said to his father and to her brothers: “May I find favor before you, and whatever you shall decide, I will give;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 et also / even CONJ
3 Sichem Shechem NOM.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
4 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
5 patrem father ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
8 fratres brothers ACC.PL.M
9 eius her / his GEN.SG (PRON)
10 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 Inveniam may I find 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 gratiam favor ACC.SG.F
13 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
14 vobis you ABL.PL.2P.PRON
15 et and CONJ
16 quæcumque whatever / whatsoever ACC.PL.N (INDEF.REL.PRON)
17 statueritis you shall decide 2PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
18 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Sed et Sichem ad patrem et ad fratres eius ait — “But Shechem also said to his father and to her brothers.”
• Conjunction: Sed et — emphatic, “but also.”
• Verb: ait — perfect indicative, introduces direct discourse.
• Objects of Preposition: ad patrem et ad fratres eius — “to his father and to her brothers,” referring to Hamor and Dinah’s brothers.

Subordinate Clause (Quotation): Inveniam gratiam coram vobis — “May I find favor before you.”
• Verb: Inveniam — subjunctive (optative), expressing wish or request.
• Object: gratiam — “favor.”
• Prepositional Phrase: coram vobis — “before you,” denoting audience of plea.

Coordinated Clause: et quæcumque statueritis, dabo — “and whatever you shall decide, I will give.”
• Indefinite Relative Pronoun: quæcumque — introduces object clause.
• Verb 1: statueritis — future perfect, action completed before the giving.
• Verb 2: dabo — future indicative, promise of fulfillment.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Sets Shechem’s statement apart from the previous proposal, marking a shift in speaker and tone.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis or inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Reinforces Shechem’s active participation in the negotiation alongside his father.
  3. Sichem — Lemma: Sichem; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular (indeclinable); Function: subject; Translation: “Shechem”; Notes: Named after the city; serves as the main subject speaking directly to Jacob’s sons.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction or address; Translation: “to”; Notes: Used twice to indicate address to both father and brothers.
  5. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Hamor, Shechem’s father, the Hivite leader.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins coordinate objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two recipients of Shechem’s address.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: repeats directional sense; Translation: “to”; Notes: Second use emphasizes inclusivity of appeal to both family groups.
  8. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to Dinah’s brothers, who later enact vengeance.
  9. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Dinah, indicating familial relation to the brothers addressed.
  10. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct discourse; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common biblical Latin verb for narrative dialogue introduction.
  11. Inveniam — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: optative subjunctive expressing wish; Translation: “may I find”; Notes: Expresses humility and request for favor in negotiation.
  12. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “inveniam”; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Classical and biblical idiom for gaining goodwill or acceptance.
  13. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes presence or position; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Common preposition in legal or formal appeals.
  14. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Plural address to Jacob’s sons, reflecting negotiation with the entire family.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the request for favor with Shechem’s offer of generosity.
  16. quæcumque — Lemma: quicumque; Part of Speech: indefinite relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of “statueritis”; Translation: “whatever”; Notes: Opens a clause of indeterminate extent, allowing unrestricted negotiation terms.
  17. statueritis — Lemma: statuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, 2nd person plural; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: “you shall decide”; Notes: Implies Shechem’s willingness to comply with any future condition decided by Jacob’s sons.
  18. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: main verb of the apodosis; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Expresses Shechem’s firm commitment to fulfill any request, emphasizing his eagerness to obtain Dinah lawfully.

 

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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