Genesis 36:43

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:43 dux Magdiel, dux Hiram: hi duces Edom habitantes in terra imperii sui, ipse est Esau pater Idumæorum.

duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their dominion; he is Esau, the father of the Idumeans.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dux duke / chief NOM.SG.M
2 Magdiel Magdiel NOM.SG.M
3 dux duke / chief NOM.SG.M
4 Hiram Iram NOM.SG.M
5 hi these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.M
6 duces dukes / chiefs NOUN.NOM.PL.M
7 Edom Edom PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 habitantes dwelling PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.PL.M
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 terra land NOUN.ABL.SG.F
11 imperii of the dominion NOUN.GEN.SG.N
12 sui their own PRON.REFL.GEN.SG.N
13 ipse he himself PRON.DEM.NOM.SG.M
14 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 Esau Esau PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
16 pater father NOUN.NOM.SG.M
17 Idumæorum of the Edomites NOUN.GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Enumeration: dux Magdiel, dux Hiram —
Each pair of dux + proper name forms a nominative appositional unit, continuing the genealogical list of Edomite clan leaders.

Main Clause: hi duces Edom habitantes in terra imperii sui —
The demonstrative hi introduces a summarizing clause. The participle habitantes describes the chiefs as residing “in the land of their dominion.” The genitive Edom depends on duces (“chiefs of Edom”).

Final Clause: ipse est Esau pater Idumæorum —
A declarative identification. Ipse emphasizes Esau’s role as progenitor, while pater Idumæorum (“father of the Idumeans”) functions as a predicate nominative.

Morphology

  1. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun (title); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive introducing Magdiel; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Repeated designation of tribal leaders among Esau’s descendants.
  2. Magdiel — Lemma: Magdiel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to dux; Translation: “Magdiel”; Notes: A leader or district under Edomite authority; Hebrew equivalent מַגְדִּיאֵל (*Magdiʾel*).
  3. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun (title); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: title introducing the next name; Translation: “chief”; Notes: Parallel repetition continues the formal genealogical enumeration.
  4. Hiram — Lemma: Hiram; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to dux; Translation: “Hiram”; Notes: A proper name possibly denoting an eponymous clan founder within Edom.
  5. hi — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers collectively to the previously listed chiefs.
  6. duces — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “chiefs”; Notes: Syntactically in apposition to hi; semantically resumes the list as a summary statement.
  7. Edom — Lemma: Edom; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying duces; Translation: “of Edom”; Notes: Indicates the national affiliation of the chiefs.
  8. habitantes — Lemma: habitō; Part of Speech: participle (present active); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: attributive participle modifying hi duces; Translation: “dwelling”; Notes: Describes the chiefs as established inhabitants, not nomadic wanderers.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates the place of habitation.
  10. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: The geographic domain of the Edomite chiefs.
  11. imperii — Lemma: imperium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of dominion”; Notes: Denotes the sphere or extent of political control.
  12. sui — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: modifies imperii; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to hi duces; emphasizes autonomous rule.
  13. ipse — Lemma: ipse, ipsa, ipsum; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Adds emphasis, underscoring Esau’s identity as progenitor of Edom.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Connects subject ipse with predicate pater Idumæorum.
  15. Esau — Lemma: Esau; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to ipse; Translation: “Esau”; Notes: Identified explicitly as the patriarchal figure of the Edomites.
  16. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “father”; Notes: Describes Esau’s generational role toward the nation of Edom (Idumæans).
  17. Idumæorum — Lemma: Idumæus; Part of Speech: noun (gentilic); Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of relationship modifying pater; Translation: “of the Idumeans”; Notes: Latinized ethnic term for the descendants of Esau; parallels Hebrew “ʾĔdôm.”

 

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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