Genesis 46:21

Posted on February 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 46:21 Filii Beniamin: Bela et Bechor et Asbel et Gera et Naaman et Echi et Ros et Mophim et Ophim et Ared.

The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Bechor and Asbel and Gera and Naaman and Echi and Ros and Mophim and Ophim and Ared.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Filii sons NOM.PL.M
2 Beniamin of Benjamin GEN.SG.M
3 Bela Bela NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Bechor Becher NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 Asbel Ashbel NOM.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 Gera Gera NOM.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 Naaman Naaman NOM.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 Echi Ehi NOM.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 Ros Rosh NOM.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 Mophim Muppim NOM.PL.M
18 et and CONJ
19 Ophim Huppim NOM.PL.M
20 et and CONJ
21 Ared Ard NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Heading: Filii Beniamin is a nominative heading meaning “the sons of Benjamin,” with Beniamin as genitive of relationship.
Coordinated List: Bela, Bechor, Asbel, Gera, Naaman, Echi, Ros, Mophim, Ophim, and Ared form a coordinated nominative series, each linked by et.
Plural Names: Mophim and Ophim are plural proper names representing clan groups or family subdivisions within Benjamin’s tribe.

Morphology

  1. Filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: genealogical heading and logical subject of the implied clause; Translation: “sons”; Notes: standard formula introducing a list of descendants.
  2. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of relationship modifying Filii; Translation: “of Benjamin”; Notes: identifies the father whose sons are being listed.
  3. Bela — Lemma: Bela; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: first son in the list; Translation: “Bela”; Notes: stands in nominative apposition to the heading “sons of Benjamin.”
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Bela and Bechor as coordinated items in the list; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple additive conjunction used repetitively in genealogical style.
  5. Bechor — Lemma: Bechor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: second son in the coordinated list; Translation: “Bechor”; Notes: proper name of one of Benjamin’s sons.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins Bechor to Asbel in the series; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the paratactic listing pattern.
  7. Asbel — Lemma: Asbel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: third son listed; Translation: “Asbel”; Notes: another individual son within Benjamin’s line.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates Asbel and Gera; Translation: “and”; Notes: maintains equal status among all named sons.
  9. Gera — Lemma: Gera; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: fourth son in the genealogical enumeration; Translation: “Gera”; Notes: appears in other biblical contexts as a Benjamite name.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Gera with Naaman; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues the additive chain.
  11. Naaman — Lemma: Naaman; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: fifth son listed; Translation: “Naaman”; Notes: Hebrew-origin name Latinized in the Vulgate tradition.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates Naaman and Echi; Translation: “and”; Notes: maintains symmetry across the enumerated sons.
  13. Echi — Lemma: Echi; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: sixth son in the list; Translation: “Echi”; Notes: syntactically parallel to the preceding names as part of the same subject group.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Echi and Ros; Translation: “and”; Notes: preserves the same paratactic style with no hierarchical distinction.
  15. Ros — Lemma: Ros; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: seventh son within the series; Translation: “Ros”; Notes: one of the lesser-known names in Benjamin’s genealogy.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates Ros with Mophim; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects singular proper name to a plural clan name.
  17. Mophim — Lemma: Mophim; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: eighth listed unit, probably representing a clan or family group; Translation: “Mophim”; Notes: plural ending suggests a collective or tribal subdivision rather than a single individual.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links Mophim and Ophim; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordinates two plural clan names side by side.
  19. Ophim — Lemma: Ophim; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: ninth listed unit, another clan or family group; Translation: “Ophim”; Notes: parallel in form and function to Mophim, again collective in sense.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects Ophim to the final name Ared; Translation: “and”; Notes: introduces the last element of the genealogical list.
  21. Ared — Lemma: Ared; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: final son in the Benjaminite genealogy; Translation: “Ared”; Notes: closes the enumerated line of Benjamin’s sons and associated clans.

 

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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