Genesis 34:19

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:19 nec distulit adolescens quin statim quod petebatur expleret: amabat enim puellam valde, et ipse erat inclytus in omni domo patris sui.

and the young man did not delay to fulfill immediately what was asked, for he loved the girl greatly, and he was distinguished in all the house of his father.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nec nor / and not CONJ
2 distulit he delayed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 adolescens the young man NOM.SG.M
4 quin but that / without CONJ
5 statim immediately ADV
6 quod what / that which ACC.SG.N (PRON.REL)
7 petebatur was asked / requested 3SG.IMPF.IND.PASS
8 expleret he might fulfill 3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
9 amabat he loved 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
10 enim for / indeed CONJ
11 puellam the girl ACC.SG.F
12 valde greatly / very much ADV
13 et and CONJ
14 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M (PRON)
15 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
16 inclytus famous / distinguished NOM.SG.M (ADJ)
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 omni all / every ABL.SG.F (ADJ)
19 domo house ABL.SG.F
20 patris of (his) father GEN.SG.M
21 sui his own GEN.SG.M (REFL.PRON)

Syntax

Main Clause: nec distulit adolescens — “And the young man did not delay.”
• Conjunction: nec — links this action to the previous one, introducing a negative continuation.
• Verb: distulit — perfect indicative, marks completed action.
• Subject: adolescens — nominative, the acting agent (Shechem).

Subordinate Clause of Result/Purpose: quin statim quod petebatur expleret — “without immediately fulfilling what was asked.”
• Conjunction: quin — after a negative verb, introduces a clause of result (“without doing”).
• Adverb: statim — emphasizes immediacy.
• Relative Pronoun: quod — object of “expleret,” referring to “what was requested.”
• Verb: petebatur — passive imperfect, “was being asked.”
• Verb: expleret — subjunctive, in clause dependent on “quin.”

Causal Clause: amabat enim puellam valde — “for he loved the girl greatly.”
• Conjunction: enim — introduces cause or explanation.
• Verb: amabat — imperfect indicative, denotes ongoing affection.
• Object: puellam — direct object of “amabat.”
• Adverb: valde — modifies the intensity of love.

Final Clause: et ipse erat inclytus in omni domo patris sui — “and he was distinguished in all the house of his father.”
• Conjunction: et — links final statement to previous.
• Subject: ipse — emphasizes Shechem’s own reputation.
• Predicate: erat inclytus — imperfect “was” + predicate adjective “famous.”
• Prepositional Phrase: in omni domo patris sui — denotes sphere of honor.

Morphology

  1. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: negative connector; Translation: “nor / and not”; Notes: Links to preceding action negatively, expressing continuation.
  2. distulit — Lemma: differo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: “he delayed”; Notes: Implies prompt obedience or eagerness.
  3. adolescens — Lemma: adolescens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the young man”; Notes: Refers to Shechem, the youthful prince.
  4. quin — Lemma: quin; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces clause of result after negative verb; Translation: “without / but that”; Notes: Common after verbs of hindrance or negation.
  5. statim — Lemma: statim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: “immediately”; Notes: Highlights Shechem’s prompt response.
  6. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “expleret”; Translation: “what”; Notes: Refers to the requested condition (circumcision).
  7. petebatur — Lemma: peto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative passive; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: “was being asked”; Notes: Expresses ongoing request by Jacob’s sons.
  8. expleret — Lemma: expleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb in quin-clause; Translation: “he might fulfill”; Notes: Subjunctive reflects potential or intended result.
  9. amabat — Lemma: amo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: “he loved”; Notes: Indicates enduring emotional attachment.
  10. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “for / indeed”; Notes: Explains Shechem’s motivation.
  11. puellam — Lemma: puella; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “amabat”; Translation: “the girl”; Notes: Refers to Dinah, daughter of Jacob.
  12. valde — Lemma: valde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: intensifier; Translation: “greatly / very much”; Notes: Strengthens emotional tone of “amabat.”
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects final statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces statement of Shechem’s reputation.
  14. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Highlights personal distinction within his family.
  15. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “was”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  16. inclytus — Lemma: inclytus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “famous / renowned”; Notes: Denotes high esteem or prominence within his household.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces sphere of reputation.
  18. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies “domo”; Translation: “all / every”; Notes: Stresses totality of esteem throughout the household.
  19. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “house”; Notes: Refers to the household of Hamor, Shechem’s father.
  20. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “domo”; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Identifies lineage and family domain.
  21. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun/adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “patris”; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to Shechem as the son.

 

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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