Genesis 36:31

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:31 Reges autem qui regnaverunt in Terra Edom antequam haberent regem filii Israel, fuerunt hi:

Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before the sons of Israel had a king.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Reges kings NOUN.NOM.PL.M
2 autem however / now ADV
3 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
4 regnaverunt reigned V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 Terra land NOUN.ABL.SG.F
7 Edom Edom PROP.NOUN.ABL.SG.F
8 antequam before CONJ
9 haberent they had V.3PL.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
10 regem king NOUN.ACC.SG.M
11 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
12 Israel Israel PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
13 fuerunt were V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
14 hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Reges autem … fuerunt hi —
The subject Reges (“kings”) is complemented by the predicate fuerunt (“were”) and the demonstrative hi (“these”). The adverb autem introduces a new section distinct from the previous Horite chiefs.

Relative Clause: qui regnaverunt in Terra Edom —
Introduced by qui (“who”), with regnaverunt as the main verb (“reigned”), and in Terra Edom as the prepositional phrase marking the location of reign (“in the land of Edom”).

Temporal Subordinate Clause: antequam haberent regem filii Israel —
Conjunction antequam (“before”) introduces the temporal clause, with haberent in the imperfect subjunctive to express a time prior to the Israelites’ monarchy. The subject is filii Israel (“sons of Israel”) and regem is its object.

Morphology

  1. Reges — Lemma: rēx; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “kings”; Notes: Refers to monarchs of Edom preceding Israel’s monarchy.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective introducing contrast or continuation; Translation: “however / now”; Notes: Marks a shift in genealogical section from chiefs to kings.
  3. qui — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to Reges.
  4. regnaverunt — Lemma: regnō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “reigned”; Notes: Describes completed royal reigns.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Specifies region of sovereignty.
  6. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the geographical territory of Edom.
  7. Edom — Lemma: Edom; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: appositive to Terra; Translation: “Edom”; Notes: Identifies the specific land ruled by the mentioned kings.
  8. antequam — Lemma: antequam; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “before”; Notes: Triggers subjunctive in dependent clause due to anticipation or non-reality.
  9. haberent — Lemma: habeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they had”; Notes: Refers to Israel prior to having a monarchy under Saul.
  10. regem — Lemma: rēx; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of haberent; Translation: “king”; Notes: Represents human ruler in contrast to divine governance at that time.
  11. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of haberent; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Collective term for the people of Israel.
  12. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession modifying filii; Translation: “of Israel”; Notes: Ethnic designation for descendants of Jacob.
  13. fuerunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: Introduces a declarative list following this verse (“these were the kings”).
  14. hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers forward to the list of individual kings that follows.

 

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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