Genesis 34:9

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:9 et iungamus vicissim connubia: filias vestras tradite nobis, et filias nostras accipite.

and let us join in marriage with one another: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 iungamus let us join / unite 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 vicissim mutually / in turn ADV
4 connubia marriages / unions ACC.PL.N
5 filias daughters ACC.PL.F
6 vestras your ACC.PL.F (ADJ)
7 tradite give / hand over 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 nobis to us DAT.PL.1P.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 filias daughters ACC.PL.F
11 nostras our ACC.PL.F (ADJ)
12 accipite take / receive 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP

Syntax

Main Clause 1: et iungamus vicissim connubia — “and let us join in marriage with one another.”
• Verb: iungamus — 1st person plural subjunctive (hortatory), “let us join.”
• Adverb: vicissim — “mutually,” expressing reciprocity.
• Object: connubia — “marriages,” direct object of the verb.

Main Clause 2: filias vestras tradite nobis — “give your daughters to us.”
• Verb: tradite — 2nd person plural imperative, “give.”
• Direct Object: filias vestras — “your daughters.”
• Indirect Object: nobis — “to us,” dative of advantage.

Main Clause 3: et filias nostras accipite — “and take our daughters.”
• Verb: accipite — 2nd person plural imperative, “take.”
• Direct Object: filias nostras — “our daughters.”

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links preceding proposal to this reciprocal offer.
  2. iungamus — Lemma: iungo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, 1st person plural; Function: hortatory subjunctive; Translation: “let us join / unite”; Notes: Expresses mutual invitation.
  3. vicissim — Lemma: vicissim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies “iungamus”; Translation: “mutually / in turn”; Notes: Indicates reciprocity in marriage exchange.
  4. connubia — Lemma: connubium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “marriages / unions”; Notes: Refers to intermarriage between tribes.
  5. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “tradite”; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Refers to Israelite daughters.
  6. vestras — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “filias”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Addresses Jacob’s sons directly.
  7. tradite — Lemma: trado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “give / hand over”; Notes: Imperative appeal for intermarriage.
  8. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to us”; Notes: Refers to the people of Shechem.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects reciprocal request.
  10. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “accipite”; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Refers to Canaanite daughters.
  11. nostras — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “filias”; Translation: “our”; Notes: Refers to daughters of Shechem’s people.
  12. accipite — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “take / receive”; Notes: Reciprocal imperative expressing proposal for intermarriage.

 

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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