Genesis 38:19

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:19 et surgens abiit: depositoque habitu, quem sumpserat, induta est viduitatis vestibus.

and rising, she went away; and having laid aside the garment which she had taken, she put on the garments of her widowhood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 surgens rising PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.F
3 abiit she went away V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 depositoque and having laid aside PART.PERF.PASS.ABL.SG.M + ENCLITIC -que
5 habitu garment / clothing NOUN.ABL.SG.M
6 quem which PRON.REL.ACC.SG.M
7 sumpserat she had taken V.3SG.PLUPERF.IND.ACT
8 induta having put on PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F
9 est she was / has been V.3SG.PRES.IND.AUX
10 viduitatis of widowhood NOUN.GEN.SG.F
11 vestibus garments / clothes NOUN.ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Clause 1: et surgens abiit — participial phrase followed by the main verb. surgens (present participle) indicates an action preceding abiit (“she went away”).

Clause 2: depositoque habitu quem sumpserat — ablative absolute, describing a completed action prior to induta est. The relative clause quem sumpserat modifies habitu.

Clause 3: induta est viduitatis vestibus — perfect passive construction from induō meaning “she put on.” The ablative viduitatis vestibus indicates the means or instrument of dressing.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple coordination linking sequential actions.
  2. surgens — Lemma: surgō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine present active; Function: circumstantial participle modifying subject (she); Translation: “rising”; Notes: Expresses the immediate action preceding departure.
  3. abiit — Lemma: abeō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “she went away”; Notes: Perfect tense conveys a completed action of departure.
  4. depositoque — Lemma: dēpōnō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine perfect passive + enclitic -que; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “and having laid aside”; Notes: Connects two subordinate actions in sequence.
  5. habitu — Lemma: habitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of separation within absolute construction; Translation: “garment / clothing”; Notes: Refers to the disguise worn by Thamar.
  6. quem — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of sumpserat; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to habitu.
  7. sumpserat — Lemma: sūmō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “she had taken”; Notes: Describes the earlier assumption of disguise.
  8. induta — Lemma: induō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: predicate participle with est; Translation: “having put on”; Notes: Describes her action of resuming widowhood attire.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary for perfect passive; Translation: “she was / has been”; Notes: Completes periphrastic form of induta.
  10. viduitatis — Lemma: viduitās; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of quality or description; Translation: “of widowhood”; Notes: Modifies vestibus to denote the social status reflected in attire.
  11. vestibus — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of means with induta est; Translation: “garments / clothes”; Notes: Represents symbolic reinstatement of chastity and mourning.

 

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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