Genesis 35:23

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:23 Filii Liæ: primogenitus Ruben, et Simeon, et Levi, et Iudas, et Issachar, et Zabulon.

The sons of Lia: Reuben the firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judas, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
2 Liæ of Leah PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
3 primogenitus firstborn ADJ.NOM.SG.M
4 Ruben Reuben PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 Simeon Simeon PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 Levi Levi PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 Iudas Judah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 Issachar Issachar PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 Zabulon Zebulun PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Nominative Phrase: Filii Liæ — head noun Filii with genitive modifier Liæ, meaning “the sons of Leah.”
Appositional Listing: The list primogenitus Ruben, et Simeon, et Levi, et Iudas, et Issachar, et Zabulon names the sons, with primogenitus Ruben in apposition indicating that Reuben was the firstborn.
Conjunction et connects each proper noun, producing a cumulative enumeration.

Morphology

  1. Filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject or nominative head of list; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Introduces genealogy segment identifying descendants.
  2. Liæ — Lemma: Lia; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession modifying “Filii”; Translation: “of Leah”; Notes: Marks maternal origin of these sons.
  3. primogenitus — Lemma: prīmogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: in apposition to “Ruben”; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: Indicates birth order and preeminence.
  4. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to “primogenitus”; Translation: “Reuben”; Notes: Firstborn son of Leah and Jacob.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins words in series; Translation: “and”; Notes: Used repetitively to link names (polysyndeton).
  6. Simeon — Lemma: Simeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: one of the coordinate subjects in the list; Translation: “Simeon”; Notes: Second son of Leah.
  7. Levi — Lemma: Levi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinate in series; Translation: “Levi”; Notes: Ancestor of priestly tribe.
  8. Iudas — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinate in series; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: Eponymous ancestor of tribe of Judah.
  9. Issachar — Lemma: Issachar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: coordinate in series; Translation: “Issachar”; Notes: Fifth son of Leah.
  10. Zabulon — Lemma: Zabulon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: final item in series; Translation: “Zebulun”; Notes: Sixth son of Leah and Jacob.

 

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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