Genesis 38:27

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:27 Instante autem partu, apparuerunt gemini in utero: atque in ipsa effusione infantium unus protulit manum, in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum, dicens:

But when she was in labor, twins appeared in her womb; and at the moment of delivery, one put out his hand, on which the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Instante as it was pressing / approaching PART.PRES.ACT.ABL.SG.N
2 autem but CONJ.ADV
3 partu birth / labor NOUN.ABL.SG.M
4 apparuerunt they appeared V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 gemini twins NOUN.NOM.PL.M
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 utero womb NOUN.ABL.SG.M
8 atque and CONJ
9 in in / during PREP+ABL
10 ipsa the very PRON.DEM.ABL.SG.F
11 effusione pouring out / delivery NOUN.ABL.SG.F
12 infantium of the infants NOUN.GEN.PL.M
13 unus one PRON.NUM.NOM.SG.M
14 protetulit put forth V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 manum hand NOUN.ACC.SG.F
16 in on / upon PREP+ABL
17 qua which PRON.REL.ABL.SG.F
18 obstetrix midwife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
19 ligavit tied V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
20 coccinum scarlet thread NOUN.ACC.SG.N
21 dicens saying PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Instante autem partu — “as labor was pressing,” expresses time and circumstance.
Main Clause: apparuerunt gemini in utero — perfect indicative denotes sudden appearance, with gemini as the subject.
Temporal Phrase: in ipsa effusione infantium — ablative phrase marking precise moment of childbirth.
Subordinate Clause: unus protulit manum — singular action highlighting the firstborn’s initiative.
Relative Clause: in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum — “on which the midwife tied a scarlet thread,” specifying the hand.
Participle: dicens introduces her exclamation in the next verse.

Morphology

  1. Instante — Lemma: instō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular neuter present active; Function: part of ablative absolute with partu; Translation: “as it was pressing / during labor”; Notes: Expresses time by circumstance.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: Shifts narrative focus.
  3. partu — Lemma: partus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: governed by ablative absolute; Translation: “birth / labor”; Notes: Marks time of delivery.
  4. apparuerunt — Lemma: appāreō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “they appeared”; Notes: Describes emergence of twins.
  5. gemini — Lemma: geminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of apparuerunt; Translation: “twins”; Notes: Subject of wonder and divine symbolism.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial sense.
  7. utero — Lemma: uterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “womb”; Notes: Denotes physical location.
  8. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds further description.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates time; Translation: “in / during”; Notes: Marks temporal sphere.
  10. ipsa — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: intensifier with effusione; Translation: “the very”; Notes: Emphasizes precision of time.
  11. effusione — Lemma: effusiō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “delivery / outpouring”; Notes: Figurative use of “pouring forth.”
  12. infantium — Lemma: infans; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent on effusione; Translation: “of the infants”; Notes: Specifies subject of delivery.
  13. unus — Lemma: ūnus; Part of Speech: numeral pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of protetulit; Translation: “one”; Notes: Refers to the first twin emerging.
  14. protetulit — Lemma: prōferō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “put forth”; Notes: Denotes premature emergence of the hand.
  15. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of protetulit; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Symbol of firstborn claim.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates relation; Translation: “on / upon”; Notes: Refers to surface of the hand.
  17. qua — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “which”; Notes: Relates to manum.
  18. obstetrix — Lemma: obstetrix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of ligavit; Translation: “midwife”; Notes: Main agent of marking the child.
  19. ligavit — Lemma: ligō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “tied”; Notes: Marks the first twin for recognition.
  20. coccinum — Lemma: coccinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of ligavit; Translation: “scarlet thread”; Notes: Symbol of birthright identification.
  21. dicens — Lemma: dīcō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine present active; Function: introduces speech in next clause; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Connects narrative to her exclamation that follows in the next verse.

 

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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