Genesis 38:8

Posted on February 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:8 Dixit ergo Iudas ad Onan filium suum: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui, et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo.

Therefore Judas said to Onan his son: “Go in to the wife of your brother, and join with her, so that you may raise up offspring for your brother.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Iudas Judah NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Onan Onan NOUN.ACC.SG.M (proper)
6 filium son NOUN.ACC.SG.M
7 suum his PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.M
8 Ingredere go in to V.2SG.PRES.IMPER.DEP
9 uxorem wife NOUN.ACC.SG.F
10 fratris of (your) brother NOUN.GEN.SG.M
11 tui your PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 sociare join with V.2SG.PRES.IMPER.ACT
14 illi to her PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.F
15 ut so that CONJ.PURP
16 suscites you may raise up V.2SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
17 semen offspring NOUN.ACC.SG.N
18 fratri to (your) brother NOUN.DAT.SG.M
19 tuo your PRON.POSS.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main clause: Dixit ergo Iudas ad Onan filium suum — subject Iudas with verb dixit (“said”) introducing direct speech; prepositional phrase ad Onan filium suum identifies recipient.

Imperatives in reported speech: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui — deponent imperative from ingredior commanding conjugal union according to levirate duty.
Second imperative sociare illi continues the command (“join with her”).

Purpose clause: ut suscites semen fratri tuo — subjunctive suscites expresses intended result: to raise offspring for the deceased brother.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dīcō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb introducing speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed speech act.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergō; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional particle; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Connects Judah’s words to the preceding divine judgment on Er.
  3. Iudas — Lemma: Iūdās; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: Patriarch and speaker of the command.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the addressee of the speech.
  5. Onan — Lemma: Onan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Onan”; Notes: Judah’s second son, recipient of command.
  6. filium — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: appositive to Onan; Translation: “son”; Notes: Specifies kinship.
  7. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: agrees with filium; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Judah as the possessor.
  8. Ingredere — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd person singular present imperative; Function: command; Translation: “go in to”; Notes: Idiomatic expression for sexual union, here fulfilling levirate obligation.
  9. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Ingredere; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Refers to Tamar, widow of Er.
  10. fratris — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of uxorem; Translation: “of your brother”; Notes: Defines levirate relationship.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: agrees with fratris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Clarifies familial possession.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinated imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential commands.
  13. sociare — Lemma: sociō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present imperative active; Function: coordinate imperative; Translation: “join with”; Notes: Reinforces conjugal obligation.
  14. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of sociare; Translation: “to her”; Notes: Refers to Tamar, the wife of the deceased brother.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: expresses intent; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Introduces result desired from the imperatives.
  16. suscites — Lemma: suscitō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present subjunctive active; Function: main verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you may raise up”; Notes: Subjunctive shows intent, typical after ut in purpose construction.
  17. semen — Lemma: sēmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of suscites; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers to posterity or lineage continuation.
  18. fratri — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of suscites; Translation: “for your brother”; Notes: Marks beneficiary of the levirate duty.
  19. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: agrees with fratri; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes familial responsibility within kinship law.

 

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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