Genesis 34:29

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:29 parvulos quoque eorum et uxores duxerunt captivas.

they also took their little ones and their wives captive.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 parvulos little ones NOUN.ACC.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 eorum of them PRON.GEN.PL.M
4 et and CONJ
5 uxores wives NOUN.ACC.PL.F
6 duxerunt they took 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 captivas captive ADJ.ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: parvulos quoque eorum et uxores duxerunt captivas — subject (implied “they,” referring to the sons of Jacob) + direct objects parvulos and uxores + predicate duxerunt captivas.
The adverb quoque adds emphasis, meaning “also” or “in addition.”
The adjective captivas agrees with uxores and indicates the result of the action (“they took as captives”).

Morphology

  1. parvulos — Lemma: parvulus; Part of Speech: Noun (diminutive form); Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of duxerunt; Translation: “little ones”; Notes: Refers to children of the inhabitants of Shechem.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: N/A; Function: Adds emphasis or inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Reinforces that even the children were taken.
  3. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to the Shechemites previously slain.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Connects coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links parvulos and uxores.
  5. uxores — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of duxerunt; Translation: “wives”; Notes: Refers to surviving women of the city.
  6. duxerunt — Lemma: duco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they took”; Notes: Perfect tense shows completed plundering or capture.
  7. captivas — Lemma: captivus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Predicate adjective modifying uxores; Translation: “captive”; Notes: Indicates condition or result of the women’s seizure.

 

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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