Genesis 34:5

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:5 Quod cum audisset Iacob, absentibus filiis, et in pastu pecorum occupatis, siluit donec redirent.

When Jacob heard this, while his sons were absent and occupied with feeding the flocks, he remained silent until they returned.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod which / when ACC.SG.N (REL.PRON)
2 cum when CONJ (TEMPORAL)
3 audisset had heard 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M (PROPN)
5 absentibus being absent PRES.PTCP.ABL.PL.M
6 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 in in / while PREP+ABL
9 pastu feeding / pasture ABL.SG.M
10 pecorum of the flocks GEN.PL.N
11 occupatis being occupied PERF.PTCP.ABL.PL.M
12 siluit was silent 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 donec until CONJ
14 redirent they returned 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Quod cum audisset Iacob — “When Jacob heard this.”
• Conjunction: cum — introduces temporal clause.
• Verb: audisset — pluperfect subjunctive, indicating action completed prior to the main event.
• Subject: Iacob — nominative, the one who heard the report.
• Object (understood): Refers back to Shechem’s act of defilement in the previous verse.

Ablative Absolute: absentibus filiis, et in pastu pecorum occupatis — “while his sons were absent and occupied with feeding the flocks.”
• absentibus filiis — first ablative absolute, describing circumstance.
• in pastu pecorum occupatis — second ablative absolute, specifying what they were doing.

Main Clause: siluit donec redirent — “he remained silent until they returned.”
• Verb: siluit — perfect indicative, main verb of the sentence.
• Subordinate Conjunction: donec — introduces temporal clause of duration or limit.
• Verb of Subordinate Clause: redirent — imperfect subjunctive, expressing anticipated return.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: refers to preceding event; Translation: “which / when”; Notes: Functions adverbially to introduce temporal relation.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces subordinate clause; Function: marks time; Translation: “when”; Notes: Common with pluperfect subjunctive.
  3. audisset — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had heard”; Notes: Action preceding “siluit.”
  4. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch, father of the sons absent in the field.
  5. absentibus — Lemma: absum; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “being absent”; Notes: Describes sons’ state.
  6. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: complement in ablative absolute; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s sons tending livestock.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links parallel ablative absolutes; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two circumstantial phrases.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of location or state; Translation: “in / while”; Notes: Expresses occupation.
  9. pastu — Lemma: pastus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “feeding / pasture”; Notes: Refers to tending activity.
  10. pecorum — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the flocks”; Notes: Specifies animals tended.
  11. occupatis — Lemma: occupo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle, ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “being occupied”; Notes: Describes concurrent action of tending flocks.
  12. siluit — Lemma: sileo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb of principal clause; Translation: “was silent”; Notes: Indicates restraint or patience.
  13. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces temporal clause; Function: expresses duration; Translation: “until”; Notes: Governs subjunctive when referring to anticipated event.
  14. redirent — Lemma: redeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “they returned”; Notes: Subjunctive reflects anticipated action at the time.

 

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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