Genesis 49:10

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:10 NON AUFERETUR sceptrum de Iuda, et dux de femore eius, donec veniat qui mittendus est, et ipse erit expectatio gentium.

The scepter will not be taken away from Judas, nor the ruler from his thigh, until he comes who is to be sent, and he will be the expectation of the nations.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 NON not ADV.NEG
2 AUFERETUR will be taken away V.3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
3 sceptrum scepter N.NEUT.NOM.SG
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 Iuda Judah PN.ABL.SG.M
6 et and CONJ.COORD
7 dux leader N.MASC.NOM.SG
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 femore thigh / lineage N.NEUT.ABL.SG
10 eius his PRON.GEN.SG
11 donec until CONJ.SUBORD
12 veniat comes V.3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
13 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
14 mittendus to be sent GERUNDIVE.NOM.SG.M
15 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
16 et and CONJ.COORD
17 ipse he himself PRON.NOM.SG.M
18 erit will be V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
19 expectatio expectation N.FEM.NOM.SG
20 gentium of the nations N.FEM.GEN.PL

Syntax

First main clause: NON AUFERETUR sceptrum de Iuda presents a future passive prediction: “the scepter will not be taken away.”
sceptrum is the subject; de Iuda expresses separation—”from Judah.”

Second coordinated clause: et dux de femore eius parallels the first.
dux is the subject; de femore eius (literally “from his thigh”) indicates descent or lineage.

Temporal clause: donec veniat qui mittendus est — “until he comes who is to be sent.”
veniat is subjunctive because of donec introducing a future contingency.
qui … mittendus est is a relative clause with a gerundive of obligation.

Final declarative clause: et ipse erit expectatio gentium.
ipse is emphatic subject (“he himself”).
expectatio gentium is predicate nominative meaning “the expectation of the nations.”

Morphology

  1. NON — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative particle; Function: negates auferetur; Translation: not; Notes: emphatic placement.
  2. AUFERETUR — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be taken away; Notes: prophetic permanence of rule.
  3. sceptrum — Lemma: sceptrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: scepter; Notes: symbol of kingship.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation/origin; Translation: from; Notes: indicates removal “from.”
  5. Iuda — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: Judah; Notes: tribal heir to kingship.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates two clauses; Translation: and; Notes: adds parallel prediction.
  7. dux — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: leader; Notes: refers to ruler or governor.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses lineage; Translation: from; Notes: metaphorical sense: “from the loins.”
  9. femore — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: thigh; Notes: Hebrew idiom for descent.
  10. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: his; Notes: refers to Judah.
  11. donec — Lemma: donec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conjunction of time; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: until; Notes: followed by subjunctive.
  12. veniat — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active subjunctive; Function: verb in temporal clause; Translation: comes; Notes: future contingency.
  13. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of mittendus est; Translation: who; Notes: introduces relative clause.
  14. mittendus — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: gerundive (verbal adjective); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with est; Translation: to be sent; Notes: expresses necessity/appointment.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: completes periphrastic construction.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces climactic clause; Translation: and; Notes: adds fulfillment clause.
  17. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: he himself; Notes: strong emphasis.
  18. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be; Notes: future significance.
  19. expectatio — Lemma: expectatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: expectation; Notes: hope, longing.
  20. gentium — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the nations; Notes: expresses full universal scope.

 

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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