Genesis 49:8

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:8 Iuda, te laudabunt fratres tui: manus tua in cervicibus inimicorum tuorum, adorabunt te filii patris tui.

Judas, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; the sons of your father will bow down to you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iuda Judah PN.VOC.SG.M
2 te you PRON.ACC.SG
3 laudabunt they will praise V.3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
4 fratres brothers N.NOM.PL.M
5 tui your POSS.ADJ.NOM.PL.M
6 manus hand N.FEM.NOM.SG
7 tua your POSS.ADJ.FEM.NOM.SG
8 in on PREP+ABL
9 cervicibus necks N.FEM.ABL.PL
10 inimicorum of enemies N.MASC.GEN.PL
11 tuorum your POSS.ADJ.MASC.GEN.PL
12 adorabunt they will bow down V.3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
13 te you PRON.ACC.SG
14 filii sons N.NOM.PL.M
15 patris of father N.MASC.GEN.SG
16 tui your POSS.ADJ.MASC.GEN.SG

Syntax

Main clause 1: Iuda (vocative) addresses Judah directly.
fratres tui is the subject; te laudabunt is the future active predicate.
Thus: “Your brothers will praise you.”

Main clause 2: manus tua is the subject, with in cervicibus inimicorum tuorum as a prepositional phrase identifying dominance.
Meaning: “Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies.”

Main clause 3: filii patris tui is the subject; te adorabunt is the future active predicate.
“Bow down” here expresses submission, not worship.

Morphology

  1. Iuda — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: Judah; Notes: opening vocative of blessing/oracle.
  2. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of laudabunt; Translation: you; Notes: object of praise.
  3. laudabunt — Lemma: laudo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they will praise; Notes: prophetic declaration.
  4. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of laudabunt; Translation: brothers; Notes: refers to tribal unity.
  5. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratres; Translation: your; Notes: familial emphasis.
  6. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: hand; Notes: symbol of strength or power.
  7. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies manus; Translation: your; Notes: agrees with manus.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses spatial dominance; Translation: on; Notes: here “upon” or “on.”
  9. cervicibus — Lemma: cervix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: necks; Notes: image of subjugation.
  10. inimicorum — Lemma: inimicus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of enemies; Notes: expresses possession.
  11. tuorum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies inimicorum; Translation: your; Notes: intensifies contrast.
  12. adorabunt — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they will bow down; Notes: indicates homage, not divine worship.
  13. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of adorabunt; Translation: you; Notes: object of homage.
  14. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of adorabunt; Translation: sons; Notes: indicates broader kinship.
  15. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of father; Notes: identifies lineage.
  16. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: your; Notes: clarifies family reference.

 

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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