Genesis 36:17

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:17 Hi quoque filii Rahuel filii Esau: dux Nahath, dux Zara, dux Samma, dux Meza. hi autem duces Rahuel in terra Edom: isti filii Basemath uxoris Esau.

These also are the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. These are the dukes of Rahuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
4 Rahuel Reuel PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
5 filii of the son NOUN.GEN.SG.M
6 Esau of Esau PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
7 dux duke/chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 Nahath Nahath PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 dux duke/chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
10 Zara Zerah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 dux duke/chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
12 Samma Shammah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
13 dux duke/chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
14 Meza Mizzah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
15 hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
16 autem however / now ADV
17 duces dukes/chiefs NOUN.NOM.PL.M
18 Rahuel of Reuel PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
19 in in PREP+ABL
20 terra land NOUN.ABL.SG.F
21 Edom Edom PROP.NOUN.ABL.SG.F
22 isti these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
23 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
24 Basemath of Basemath PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
25 uxoris of the wife NOUN.GEN.SG.F
26 Esau of Esau PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1: Hi quoque filii Rahuel filii Esau — demonstrative Hi (“these”) with quoque (“also”) marking addition; filii Rahuel filii Esau functions as a genitival chain: “These also are the sons of Reuel, the son of Esau.”
Appositive List: dux Nahath, dux Zara, dux Samma, dux Meza — nominative titles naming the tribal leaders descended from Reuel.
Clause 2: hi autem duces Rahuel in terra Edom — restates summary, hi as subject, duces predicate nominative, in terra Edom locative phrase defining their territory.
Clause 3: isti filii Basemath uxoris Esau — reiterates maternal lineage; isti (“these”) subject, filii predicate nominative, Basemath uxoris Esau genitive phrase identifying descent.

Morphology

  1. Hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of implied sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Introduces the next genealogical set.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive particle; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates addition to previous lineage of Eliphaz.
  3. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Identifies Reuel’s descendants as the subject.
  4. Rahuel — Lemma: Rahuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Reuel”; Notes: Marks paternal lineage.
  5. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive in apposition with Rahuel; Translation: “of the son”; Notes: Clarifies Reuel’s descent from Esau.
  6. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of Esau”; Notes: Connects lineage to the patriarch Esau.
  7. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: title preceding each name; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Formal title for clan leaders.
  8. Nahath — Lemma: Nahath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to dux; Translation: “Nahath”; Notes: Eldest son of Reuel listed as a chief.
  9. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated title; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Repetition follows genealogical formula.
  10. Zara — Lemma: Zara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to dux; Translation: “Zerah”; Notes: Second tribal leader from Reuel’s line.
  11. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: repeated title; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Continues the pattern of tribal identification.
  12. Samma — Lemma: Samma; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Shammah”; Notes: Third son of Reuel.
  13. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: title; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Last title in this sublist.
  14. Meza — Lemma: Meza; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Mizzah”; Notes: Fourth and final son of Reuel named among Edomite chiefs.
  15. hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of sunt (understood); Translation: “these”; Notes: Begins new summarizing clause.
  16. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/postpositive conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective introducing commentary or contrast; Translation: “however / now”; Notes: Transitional particle.
  17. duces — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “chiefs”; Notes: General title for the group described.
  18. Rahuel — Lemma: Rahuel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Reuel”; Notes: Refers to chiefs belonging to Reuel’s lineage.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates territorial domain.
  20. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Locative complement.
  21. Edom — Lemma: Edom; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: genitive apposition with terra; Translation: “Edom”; Notes: Refers to the territory of Esau’s descendants.
  22. isti — Lemma: iste, ista, istud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Deictic pronoun referring back to listed names.
  23. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Completes final summary clause.
  24. Basemath — Lemma: Basemath; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Basemath”; Notes: Indicates the maternal line of Reuel’s sons.
  25. uxoris — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive in apposition with Basemath; Translation: “of the wife”; Notes: Defines Basemath’s marital relation to Esau.
  26. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of Esau”; Notes: Concludes the genealogical linkage identifying Reuel’s maternal descent.

 

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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