Genesis 49:9

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:9 Catulus leonis Iuda: ad prædam fili mi ascendisti: requiescens accubuisti ut leo, et quasi leæna, quis suscitabit eum?

Judas is a lion’s cub; to the prey you have gone up, my son; resting, you have lain down like a lion, and like a lioness—who will rouse him?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Catulus cub N.MASC.NOM.SG
2 leonis of a lion N.MASC.GEN.SG
3 Iuda Judah PN.NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 prædam prey N.FEM.ACC.SG
6 fili son N.VOC.SG.M
7 mi my POSS.ADJ.VOC.SG.M
8 ascendisti you have gone up V.2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 requiescens resting PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
10 accubuisti you have lain down V.2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 ut as / like CONJ.COMPAR
12 leo lion N.MASC.NOM.SG
13 et and CONJ.COORD
14 quasi as if / like ADV.COMPAR
15 leæna lioness N.FEM.NOM.SG
16 quis who INTERROG.PRON.NOM.SG.M
17 suscitabit will rouse V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Nominal metaphor: Catulus leonis Iuda forms a simple nominal clause where Catulus is predicate nominative describing Iuda.
The genitive leonis specifies species: “a lion’s cub.”

Declarative clause: ad prædam fili mi ascendisti — ascendisti is the perfect active verb with fili mi as a vocative.
ad prædam expresses goal: “you have gone up to the prey.”

Descriptive action: requiescens accubuisti uses a participle (requiescens) modifying the subject (“you”), paired with perfect accubuisti.

Comparative similes: ut leo and quasi leæna describe Judah’s resting with leonine imagery.

Rhetorical question: quis suscitatbit eum? expresses awe at Judah’s fearsome strength—“who will dare rouse him?”

Morphology

  1. Catulus — Lemma: catulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: cub; Notes: expresses youthful strength.
  2. leonis — Lemma: leo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of species; Translation: of a lion; Notes: determines type of cub.
  3. Iuda — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Judah; Notes: subject of metaphorical predication.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: to; Notes: goal-oriented preposition.
  5. prædam — Lemma: præda; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: prey; Notes: evokes lion imagery.
  6. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: son; Notes: tender paternal tone.
  7. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies fili; Translation: my; Notes: affectionate epithet.
  8. ascendisti — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you have gone up; Notes: violent assertion of dominance.
  9. requiescens — Lemma: requiesco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial modifier; Translation: resting; Notes: denotes calm power.
  10. accubuisti — Lemma: accubo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: you have lain down; Notes: conveys repose after conquest.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: comparative; Function: introduces simile; Translation: like; Notes: expresses likeness.
  12. leo — Lemma: leo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: object of comparison; Translation: lion; Notes: regal imagery.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects similes; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  14. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative; Function: introduces second simile; Translation: as if / like; Notes: weaker comparison than ut.
  15. leæna — Lemma: leæna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: comparative noun; Translation: lioness; Notes: stresses ferocity and protectiveness.
  16. quis — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of suscitatbit; Translation: who; Notes: rhetorical emphasis.
  17. suscitabit — Lemma: suscito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will rouse; Notes: expresses awe/fear.
  18. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of suscitatbit; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Judah.

 

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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