Genesis 35:17

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:17 ob difficultatem partus periclitari cœpit. Dixitque ei obstetrix: Noli timere, quia et hunc habebis filium.

because of the difficulty of childbirth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you will have this son also.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ob because of PREP+ACC
2 difficultatem difficulty NOUN.ACC.SG.F
3 partus of childbirth NOUN.GEN.SG.M
4 periclitari to be in danger INF.PRES.DEP
5 cœpit she began 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCL -QUE
7 ei to her PRON.DAT.SG.F
8 obstetrix midwife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
9 Noli do not 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPERF of nolo
10 timere to fear INF.PRES.ACT
11 quia for / because CONJ
12 et also CONJ/ADV
13 hunc this PRON.ACC.SG.M
14 habebis you will have 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 filium son NOUN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1: ob difficultatem partus periclitari cœpit — prepositional phrase ob difficultatem partus (“because of the difficulty of childbirth”) expresses the cause, while periclitari cœpit forms a periphrastic construction meaning “she began to be in danger.”
Clause 2: Dixitque ei obstetrix — “And the midwife said to her,” with obstetrix as the subject and ei as the indirect object.
Clause 3 (Direct Speech): Noli timere, quia et hunc habebis filium — imperative + infinitive (“do not fear”), followed by causal clause (“for you will have this son also”).

Morphology

  1. ob — Lemma: ob; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Used frequently for expressing reason or motive.
  2. difficultatem — Lemma: difficultas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ob”; Translation: “difficulty”; Notes: Refers to the hardship of labor.
  3. partus — Lemma: partus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of childbirth”; Notes: Complements “difficultatem.”
  4. periclitari — Lemma: periclitor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present infinitive; Function: complements “cœpit”; Translation: “to be in danger”; Notes: Deponent infinitive dependent on “cœpit.”
  5. cœpit — Lemma: coepiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “she began”; Notes: Marks onset of perilous condition.
  6. Dixitque — Lemma: dīcō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, 3rd singular, with enclitic -que; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Simple connective to narrative flow.
  7. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of “dixit”; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to Rachel.
  8. obstetrix — Lemma: obstetrix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “dixit”; Translation: “midwife”; Notes: Occupation term meaning “she who stands by.”
  9. Noli — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: prohibition; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Introduces negative command with infinitive complement.
  10. timere — Lemma: timeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of “noli”; Translation: “to fear”; Notes: Common Vulgate idiom for “do not fear.”
  11. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: simple; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “for” or “because”; Notes: Connects reassurance to command.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: simple; Function: adds emphasis (“also”); Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates repetition of blessing.
  13. hunc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “habebis”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the newborn son.
  14. habebis — Lemma: habeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, 2nd singular; Function: main verb of reassurance; Translation: “you will have”; Notes: Predictive statement of encouragement.
  15. filium — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “habebis”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Benjamin, completing Rachel’s childbirth.

 

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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