Genesis 35:2

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:2 Iacob vero convocata omni domo sua, ait: Abiicite deos alienos qui in medio vestri sunt, et mundamini, ac mutate vestimenta vestra.

But Jacob, having called together all his household, said: “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iacob Jacob NOUN.NOM.SG.M (PROP)
2 vero but / indeed ADV
3 convocata having called together PERF.PASS.PTCP.ABL.SG.F
4 omni all ADJ.ABL.SG.F
5 domo household NOUN.ABL.SG.F
6 sua his ADJ.ABL.SG.F
7 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Abiicite cast away 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
9 deos gods NOUN.ACC.PL.M
10 alienos foreign ADJ.ACC.PL.M
11 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.PL.M
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 medio midst NOUN.ABL.SG.N
14 vestri of you PRON.GEN.PL.2ND
15 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
16 et and CONJ
17 mundamini cleanse yourselves 2PL.PRES.IMP.PASS (DEP)
18 ac and CONJ
19 mutate change 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
20 vestimenta garments NOUN.ACC.PL.N
21 vestra your ADJ.ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: convocata omni domo sua — describes the circumstance under which Jacob spoke (“after he had called together all his household”).
Main Clause: Iacob vero … ait — subject Iacob + verb ait; vero adds contrast or emphasis (“but Jacob said”).
Direct Speech: three coordinated imperatives —

  • Abiicite deos alienos — command to abandon idols.
  • qui in medio vestri sunt — relative clause modifying deos alienos (“who are among you”).
  • et mundamini, ac mutate vestimenta vestra — successive imperatives expressing ritual purification and renewal.

Morphology

  1. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Patriarch addressing his household.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: N/A; Function: Contrastive particle; Translation: “but”; Notes: Adds contrast to preceding events.
  3. convocata — Lemma: convoco; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect passive participle, ablative singular feminine; Function: Part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having called together”; Notes: Refers to summoning the family.
  4. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies domo; Translation: “all”; Notes: Stresses inclusion of every member.
  5. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: In ablative absolute; Translation: “household”; Notes: Represents Jacob’s family and servants.
  6. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies domo; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to Jacob.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of narration; Translation: “said”; Notes: Formulaic for introducing speech.
  8. Abiicite — Lemma: abicio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperative present active, 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “put away”; Notes: Urges removal of idols from among them.
  9. deos — Lemma: deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of Abiicite; Translation: “gods”; Notes: Refers to idols kept by Jacob’s household.
  10. alienos — Lemma: alienus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies deos; Translation: “foreign”; Notes: Indicates idols of foreign nations.
  11. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to deos alienos.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial preposition.
  13. medio — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “midst”; Notes: Used metaphorically for “among.”
  14. vestri — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of you”; Notes: Denotes collective household.
  15. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present indicative active, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “are”; Notes: Describes the presence of idols.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Connects imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential connector.
  17. mundamini — Lemma: mundo; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Imperative present passive (deponent in form), 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “cleanse yourselves”; Notes: Reflects ritual purification.
  18. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Connective (stronger than “et”); Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds emphasis to the final action.
  19. mutate — Lemma: muto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperative present active, 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “change”; Notes: Indicates moral and physical renewal.
  20. vestimenta — Lemma: vestimentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of mutate; Translation: “garments”; Notes: Symbol of purification.
  21. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Modifies vestimenta; Translation: “your”; Notes: Denotes personal responsibility for purification.

 

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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