Genesis 49:7

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:7 Maledictus furor eorum, quia pertinax: et indignatio eorum, quia dura: dividam eos in Iacob, et dispergam eos in Israel.

Cursed be their anger, for it is stubborn; and their wrath, for it is harsh: I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Maledictus cursed PPP.NOM.SG.M
2 furor anger N.MASC.NOM.SG
3 eorum of them PRON.GEN.PL
4 quia because CONJ.SUBORD
5 pertinax stubborn ADJ.NOM.SG.M/F
6 et and CONJ.COORD
7 indignatio wrath N.FEM.NOM.SG
8 eorum of them PRON.GEN.PL
9 quia because CONJ.SUBORD
10 dura harsh ADJ.NOM.SG.F
11 dividam I will divide V.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 Iacob Jacob PN.ABL.SG.M
15 et and CONJ.COORD
16 dispergam I will scatter V.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 Israel Israel PN.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

First nominal clause: Maledictus furor eorum presents a predicate adjective (Maledictus) describing the subject (furor eorum).
The following quia pertinax is a causal clause explaining the curse.

Second parallel clause: et indignatio eorum forms another nominal clause with the implied predicate “is cursed,” followed by quia dura, a second causal clause.

Divine judgment clauses: dividam eos in Iacob and dispergam eos in Israel form two future declarations of scattering and dispersion.
eos is direct object in both clauses; in + ablative indicates spatial distribution within the tribes of Jacob/Israel.

Morphology

  1. Maledictus — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: participle (verbal adjective); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: cursed; Notes: expresses condemnation.
  2. furor — Lemma: furor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: anger; Notes: refers to violent rage.
  3. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of them; Notes: refers to Simeon and Levi.
  4. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: explains moral sentence.
  5. pertinax — Lemma: pertinax; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine/feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: stubborn; Notes: describes moral stubbornness.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links parallel judgments; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  7. indignatio — Lemma: indignatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: indignation / wrath; Notes: intensified anger.
  8. eorum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of them; Notes: identical function to prior eorum.
  9. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: gives reason for condemnation.
  10. dura — Lemma: durus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective modifying indignatio; Translation: harsh; Notes: character of their wrath.
  11. dividam — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of prophecy; Translation: I will divide; Notes: foretells tribal dispersion.
  12. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of dividam; Translation: them; Notes: Simeon and Levi’s descendants.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses distribution; Translation: in; Notes: indicates scattering among tribes.
  14. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: Jacob; Notes: patriarch representing the nation.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links two divine judgments; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  16. dispergam — Lemma: dispergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will scatter; Notes: emphasizes geographic dispersion.
  17. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of dispergam; Translation: them; Notes: repetition for emphasis.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: in; Notes: parallels earlier use.
  19. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: Israel; Notes: denotes the broader national community.

 

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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