Genesis 36:20

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:20 Isti sunt filii Seir Horræi, habitatores terræ: Lotan, et Sobal, et Sebeon, et Ana,

These are the sons of Seir the Horrite, inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Isti these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
2 sunt are V.3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
4 Seir of Seir PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
5 Horræi the Horite ADJ.GEN.SG.M
6 habitatores inhabitants NOUN.NOM.PL.M
7 terræ of the land NOUN.GEN.SG.F
8 Lotan Lotan PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 Sobal Shobal PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 Sebeon Zibeon PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 Ana Anah PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Isti sunt filii Seir Horræi — subject Isti (“these”), copula sunt, and predicate nominative filii with genitive modifier Seir Horræi (“the sons of Seir the Horite”).
Appositive Phrase: habitatores terræ — nominative phrase functioning as descriptive apposition (“inhabitants of the land”).
List of Names: Lotan, et Sobal, et Sebeon, et Ana — coordinate nominative proper names identifying Seir’s sons.

Morphology

  1. Isti — Lemma: iste, ista, istud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of sunt; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to Seir’s descendants being enumerated.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links demonstrative to predicate nominative.
  3. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Denotes genealogical descendants.
  4. Seir — Lemma: Seir; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Seir”; Notes: Name of patriarch associated with the Horites.
  5. Horræi — Lemma: Horræus; Part of Speech: adjective/substantive; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: adjective modifying Seir; Translation: “the Horite”; Notes: Ethnonym identifying the clan of Seir.
  6. habitatores — Lemma: habitator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “inhabitants”; Notes: Describes Seir’s sons as native dwellers of the region.
  7. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Specifies geographic domain inhabited by Seir’s clan.
  8. Lotan — Lemma: Lotan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to filii; Translation: “Lotan”; Notes: First among Seir’s sons.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the sequence of names.
  10. Sobal — Lemma: Sobal; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Shobal”; Notes: Second son in the genealogy.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinate connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard list continuation.
  12. Sebeon — Lemma: Sebeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive; Translation: “Zibeon”; Notes: Third son listed; later mentioned in relation to Anah.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: final coordinate conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the final name in the list.
  14. Ana — Lemma: Ana; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to filii; Translation: “Anah”; Notes: Final name completing the enumeration of Seir’s sons.

 

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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