Genesis 36:39

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:39 Isto quoque mortuo regnavit pro eo Adar, nomenque urbis eius Phau: et appellabatur uxor eius Meetabel, filia Matred filiæ Mezaab.

And when this one also had died, Adar reigned in his place, and the name of his city was Phau; and his wife was called Meetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Isto 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 Adar Hadar PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 nomenque and the name NOUN.NOM.SG.N + ENCLITIC -QUE
9 urbis of the city NOUN.GEN.SG.F
10 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
11 Phau Pau PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.F
12 et and CONJ
13 appellabatur was called V.3SG.IMPF.PASS.IND
14 uxor wife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
15 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
16 Meetabel Mehetabel PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.F
17 filia daughter NOUN.NOM.SG.F
18 Matred Matred PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
19 filiæ daughter NOUN.GEN.SG.F
20 Mezaab Mezahab PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Isto quoque mortuo —
Forms a temporal clause meaning “and when this one also had died.” The demonstrative isto and participle mortuo are in the ablative, denoting a completed prior action.

Main Clause: regnavit pro eo Adar —
Verb regnavit (“reigned”) is the main predicate. Pro eo expresses succession (“in his place”), and Adar is the subject.

Coordinate Clause: nomenque urbis eius Phau —
Elliptical expression where “erat” is implied (“and the name of his city was Phau”). Nomenque joins this clause to the previous statement with enclitic -que.

Subsequent Clause: et appellabatur uxor eius Meetabel, filia Matred, filiæ Mezaab —
Verb appellabatur introduces the name of Adar’s wife Meetabel. The noun filia followed by two genitives (Matred and filiæ Mezaab) indicates lineage: “daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.”

Morphology

  1. Isto — Lemma: iste, ista, istud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: element in ablative absolute; Translation: “this one”; Notes: Refers to the preceding king, Balanan.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective adverb; Translation: “also”; Notes: Connects this succession with previous ones.
  3. mortuo — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle ablative singular masculine; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having died”; Notes: Describes completion of the prior ruler’s death.
  4. regnavit — Lemma: regnō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “reigned”; Notes: Denotes Adar’s accession to rule.
  5. pro — Lemma: prō; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses substitution; Translation: “in place of”; Notes: Typical in royal succession lists.
  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.
  7. Adar — Lemma: Adar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of regnavit; Translation: “Adar”; Notes: Final king listed in the Edomite genealogy.
  8. nomenque — Lemma: nōmen + -que; Part of Speech: noun + enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of an implied “erat”; Translation: “and the name”; Notes: The enclitic joins this phrase with the preceding statement.
  9. urbis — Lemma: urbs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier of nomen; Translation: “of the city”; Notes: Defines what the name belongs to.
  10. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies urbis; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Adar.
  11. Phau — Lemma: Phau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Phau”; Notes: The city associated with Adar’s reign.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the following independent statement.
  13. appellabatur — Lemma: appellō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative passive; Function: main verb; Translation: “was called”; Notes: Passive form describing the naming of the wife.
  14. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of appellabatur; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Refers to Adar’s spouse.
  15. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies uxor; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Adar.
  16. Meetabel — Lemma: Meetabel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Meetabel”; Notes: The name of Adar’s wife.
  17. filia — Lemma: fīlia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: nominative in apposition; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Introduces the maternal genealogy.
  18. Matred — Lemma: Matred; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of parentage modifying filia; Translation: “of Matred”; Notes: Indicates maternal descent.
  19. filiæ — Lemma: fīlia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “daughter”; Notes: Marks the next generational link (“daughter of Mezaab”).
  20. Mezaab — Lemma: Mezaab; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Mezaab”; Notes: The ancestor concluding the genealogical chain.

 

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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