Genesis 36:37

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:37 Hoc quoque mortuo regnavit pro eo Saul de fluvio Rohoboth.

And when this one had also died, Saul from the river Rohoboth reigned in his place.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hoc this one PRON.DEM.ABL.SG.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 mortuo having died PART.PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.M
4 regnavit reigned V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 pro in place of PREP+ABL
6 eo him PRON.PERS.ABL.SG.M
7 Saul Shaul PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 fluvio river NOUN.ABL.SG.M
10 Rohoboth Rehoboth PROP.NOUN.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Hoc quoque mortuo —
The demonstrative hoc and the participle mortuo form an ablative absolute meaning “when this one also had died.” It gives the temporal setting for Saul’s succession.

Main Clause: regnavit pro eo Saul de fluvio Rohoboth —
The verb regnavit (“reigned”) is the main predicate, with pro eo (“in his place”) expressing substitution. The subject Saul (“Saul”) is identified by the prepositional phrase de fluvio Rohoboth (“from the river Rehoboth”), specifying his geographical origin.

Morphology

  1. Hoc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: element in ablative absolute; Translation: “this one”; Notes: Refers to the previously mentioned king, Semla.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective adverb; Translation: “also”; Notes: Continues the succession sequence of Edomite kings.
  3. mortuo — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute construction; Translation: “having died”; Notes: Describes the death of the previous ruler.
  4. regnavit — Lemma: regnō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “reigned”; Notes: Marks the beginning of Saul’s reign.
  5. pro — Lemma: prō; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses substitution or succession; Translation: “in place of”; Notes: Indicates royal succession.
  6. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the deceased king (Semla).
  7. Saul — Lemma: Saul; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of regnavit; Translation: “Saul”; Notes: Not the Israelite Saul; an Edomite ruler.
  8. de — Lemma: dē; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used to denote Saul’s provenance.
  9. fluvio — Lemma: fluvius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: “river”; Notes: Part of locative expression specifying geographic origin.
  10. Rohoboth — Lemma: Rohoboth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: appositive to fluvio; Translation: “Rehoboth”; Notes: Likely refers to Rehoboth on the Euphrates or a similar settlement in Edomite territory.

 

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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