Genesis 34:12

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:12 augete dotem, et munera postulate, et libenter tribuam quod petieritis: tantum date mihi puellam hanc uxorem.

increase the dowry, and ask for gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall request: only give me this girl as a wife.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 augete increase 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 dotem dowry ACC.SG.F
3 et and CONJ
4 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
5 postulate ask / demand 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
6 et and CONJ
7 libenter gladly ADV
8 tribuam I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 quod what / whatever ACC.SG.N (REL.PRON)
10 petieritis you shall request 2PL.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
11 tantum only ADV
12 date give 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
13 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P.PRON
14 puellam girl ACC.SG.F
15 hanc this ACC.SG.F (DEM.PRON)
16 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Imperative Series: augete dotem, et munera postulate — “Increase the dowry, and ask for gifts.”
• Verbs: augete, postulate — coordinated imperatives addressed to Jacob’s sons.
• Objects: dotem and munera — direct objects expressing negotiable terms of marriage.

Conditional-like Future Clause: et libenter tribuam quod petieritis — “and I will gladly give what you shall request.”
• Adverb: libenter — expresses willingness.
• Verb: tribuam — future indicative, promise of payment.
• Relative Clause: quod petieritis — “what you shall request,” future perfect, denoting completion prior to giving.

Final Plea: tantum date mihi puellam hanc uxorem — “only give me this girl as a wife.”
• Adverb: tantum — restricts condition.
• Verb: date — imperative, core request.
• Indirect Object: mihi — recipient.
• Direct Object: puellam hanc uxorem — “this girl as wife,” appositional accusative structure common in Latin marriage formulas.

Morphology

  1. augete — Lemma: augeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: direct command; Translation: “increase”; Notes: Indicates negotiation of dowry; polite imperative urging higher offer.
  2. dotem — Lemma: dos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “augete”; Translation: “dowry”; Notes: Refers to customary payment in marriage negotiation.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects sequential requests in persuasive tone.
  4. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of “postulate”; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: Refers to additional presents expected by the bride’s family.
  5. postulate — Lemma: postulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: “ask / demand”; Notes: Reflects formal tone of offer negotiation.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links request with assurance of compliance.
  7. libenter — Lemma: libenter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: positive degree; Function: modifies “tribuam”; Translation: “gladly”; Notes: Expresses voluntary generosity.
  8. tribuam — Lemma: tribuo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of promise; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Indicates firm intention to meet requested terms.
  9. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “petieritis”; Translation: “what / whatever”; Notes: Refers to undefined requested items.
  10. petieritis — Lemma: peto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural future perfect active indicative; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: “you shall request”; Notes: Implies the giving will follow the request’s completion.
  11. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: restricts clause; Translation: “only”; Notes: Adds emotional urgency by narrowing his desire to a single request.
  12. date — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: direct plea; Translation: “give”; Notes: Serves as climactic imperative of appeal.
  13. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Denotes recipient of the desired union.
  14. puellam — Lemma: puella; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “date”; Translation: “girl”; Notes: Refers to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah.
  15. hanc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “puellam”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates immediacy and emotional focus on Dinah.
  16. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: appositional complement to “puellam”; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Appositional accusative indicating intended marital role.

 

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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