Genesis 36:7

Posted on February 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 36:7 Divites enim erant valde, et simul habitare non poterant: nec sustinebat eos terra peregrinationis eorum præ multitudine gregum.

For they were very rich, and could not live together; nor was the land of their sojourning able to support them because of the multitude of their flocks.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Divites rich ADJ.NOM.PL.M
2 enim for CONJ
3 erant were 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND
4 valde very ADV
5 et and CONJ
6 simul together ADV
7 habitare to live INF.PRES.ACT
8 non not ADV
9 poterant could 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND
10 nec nor CONJ
11 sustinebat supported 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
12 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
13 terra land NOUN.NOM.SG.F
14 peregrinationis of sojourning NOUN.GEN.SG.F
15 eorum of them PRON.GEN.PL.M
16 præ because of PREP+ABL
17 multitudine multitude NOUN.ABL.SG.F
18 gregum of flocks NOUN.GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Clause 1: Divites enim erant valde — subject implied (Esau and Iacob), with predicate adjective Divites and copula erant; expresses their mutual prosperity.
Clause 2: et simul habitare non poterant — infinitive habitare with modal verb poterant expresses incapacity: “they could not live together.”
Clause 3: nec sustinebat eos terra peregrinationis eorum præ multitudine gregum — main verb sustinebat with subject terra, direct object eos, genitive modifier peregrinationis eorum, and causal prepositional phrase præ multitudine gregum; “nor could the land of their sojourning sustain them because of the multitude of flocks.”

Morphology

  1. Divites — Lemma: dīves; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “rich”; Notes: Describes Esau and Jacob as wealthy in livestock and possessions.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal statement; Translation: “for”; Notes: Explains the reason for their separation.
  3. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: copula linking subject to predicate; Translation: “were”; Notes: Imperfect denotes ongoing condition of wealth.
  4. valde — Lemma: valdē; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifier modifying divites; Translation: “very”; Notes: Emphasizes degree of affluence.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects independent clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links reason and consequence.
  6. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies habitare; Translation: “together”; Notes: Stresses coexistence in proximity.
  7. habitare — Lemma: habitō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive complement of poterant; Translation: “to live / dwell”; Notes: Expresses potential ability negated by context.
  8. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation of poterant; Translation: “not”; Notes: Gives a negative sense to the modal construction.
  9. poterant — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: expresses inability; Translation: “could”; Notes: Imperfect denotes continuous incapacity.
  10. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: negative conjunction introducing a new clause; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Adds further negative consequence.
  11. sustinebat — Lemma: sustineō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of third clause; Translation: “was supporting / could sustain”; Notes: Continuous past inability of the land to sustain them.
  12. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of sustinebat; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to both brothers and their households.
  13. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of sustinebat; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers to the territory of their temporary residence.
  14. peregrinationis — Lemma: peregrinātiō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies terra in a possessive genitive; Translation: “of sojourning”; Notes: Describes the land as one of pilgrimage, not permanent home.
  15. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies peregrinationis; Translation: “of them / their”; Notes: Specifies ownership of the sojourning land.
  16. præ — Lemma: prae; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces causal ablative phrase; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Indicates the reason for the land’s insufficiency.
  17. multitudine — Lemma: multitūdō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of præ; Translation: “the multitude”; Notes: Denotes vast number or amount.
  18. gregum — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive of multitudine; Translation: “of flocks”; Notes: Specifies the material cause—livestock that overcrowded the land.

 

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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