Genesis 34:6

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:6 Egresso autem Hemor patre Sichem ut loqueretur ad Iacob,

But when Hemor, the father of Sichem, went out to speak with Jacob,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Egresso having gone out PERF.PTCP.ABL.SG.M
2 autem however / but CONJ
3 Hemor Hamor ABL.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
4 patre father ABL.SG.M
5 Sichem Shechem GEN.SG (PROPN.INDECL)
6 ut that / in order that CONJ (PURPOSE)
7 loqueretur might speak 3SG.IMPERF.DEP.SUBJ
8 ad to / with PREP+ACC
9 Iacob Jacob ACC.SG.M (PROPN)

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Egresso autem Hemor patre Sichem — “But when Hamor, the father of Shechem, had gone out.”
• Verb: Egresso — perfect participle, expressing prior action.
• Subject of Ablative Absolute: Hemor patre Sichem — compound ablative phrase identifying the person performing the action.
• Conjunction: autem — transitional, marking narrative shift or continuation.

Subordinate Purpose Clause: ut loqueretur ad Iacob — “to speak with Jacob.”
• Conjunction: ut — introduces clause of purpose.
• Verb: loqueretur — imperfect subjunctive, standard for purpose construction.
• Prepositional Phrase: ad Iacob — object of the speech verb, “to Jacob.”

Morphology

  1. Egresso — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle, ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: Refers to Hamor’s movement prior to speaking.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses with mild contrast; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Marks transition in narrative flow.
  3. Hemor — Lemma: Hemor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular (indeclinable); Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “Hamor”; Notes: Proper name, father of Shechem.
  4. patre — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: appositive within ablative absolute; Translation: “father”; Notes: Clarifies relationship.
  5. Sichem — Lemma: Sichem; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular (indeclinable); Function: dependent genitive modifying “patre”; Translation: “of Shechem”; Notes: Indicates paternal relationship.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: shows intent; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Standard conjunction of purpose followed by subjunctive.
  7. loqueretur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect subjunctive, 3rd singular; Function: verb of the purpose clause; Translation: “might speak”; Notes: Subjunctive marks purpose or intention.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: “to / with”; Notes: Introduces person addressed.
  9. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Refers to the patriarch being approached by Hamor.

 

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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