Genesis 49:14

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:14 Issachar asinus fortis accubans inter terminos.

Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the borders.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Issachar Issachar PN.NOM.SG.M
2 asinus donkey N.MASC.NOM.SG
3 fortis strong ADJ.NOM.SG.M
4 accubans lying down PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
5 inter between PREP+ACC
6 terminos borders N.MASC.ACC.PL

Syntax

Nominal clause: Issachar asinus fortis uses apposition.
Issachar is the subject; asinus fortis provides the metaphorical predicate nominative (“a strong donkey”).

Participial description: accubans (present active participle) further describes Issachar—“lying down.”

Prepositional phrase: inter terminos gives spatial context: “between the borders.”

Morphology

  1. Issachar — Lemma: Issachar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Issachar; Notes: Israel’s fifth son by Leah.
  2. asinus — Lemma: asinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: donkey; Notes: metaphor indicating endurance and labor.
  3. fortis — Lemma: fortis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies asinus; Translation: strong; Notes: characterizes strength or toughness.
  4. accubans — Lemma: accubo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: descriptive modifier of Issachar; Translation: lying down; Notes: connotes rest, stability, or passiveness.
  5. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial relation; Translation: between; Notes: standard use with plural object.
  6. terminos — Lemma: terminus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of inter; Translation: borders; Notes: can refer to tribal boundaries or territorial markers.

 

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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