Genesis 37:3

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:3 Israel autem diligebat Ioseph super omnes filios suos, eo quod in senectute genuisset eum: fecitque ei tunicam polymitam.

But Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he had begotten him in his old age; and he made for him a coat of many colors.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M
2 autem but CONJ.ADV
3 diligebat loved V.3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
4 Ioseph Joseph ACC.SG.M
5 super more than PREP+ACC
6 omnes all ADJ.ACC.PL.M
7 filios sons NOUN.ACC.PL.M
8 suos his own PRON.POSS.ACC.PL.M
9 eo because PRON.DEM.ABL.SG.M
10 quod that CONJ
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 senectute old age NOUN.ABL.SG.F
13 genuisset had begotten V.3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
14 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
15 fecitque and made V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
16 ei for him PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.M
17 tunicam coat NOUN.ACC.SG.F
18 polymitam many-colored ADJ.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Israel autem diligebat Ioseph super omnes filios suos —
Subject Israel and imperfect diligebat express continuous affection. The prepositional phrase super omnes filios suos shows comparison (“more than all his sons”). The particle autem introduces contrast, highlighting Israel’s preferential love for Joseph.

Subordinate Clause: eo quod in senectute genuisset eum —
Causal clause introduced by eo quod (“because”), with genuisset (pluperfect subjunctive) expressing cause. In senectute is an ablative of time.

Second Main Clause: fecitque ei tunicam polymitam —
The verb fecit (“made”) governs the double object construction: ei (dative of advantage, “for him”) and tunicam polymitam (accusative direct object, “a coat of many colors”). The enclitic -que connects this clause to the previous one, continuing the narrative flow.

Morphology

  1. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of diligebat; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Refers to Jacob under his covenantal name.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: Provides contrastive nuance, marking a shift to Joseph’s narrative.
  3. diligebat — Lemma: diligō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “loved”; Notes: Continuous or habitual affection toward Joseph.
  4. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of diligebat; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Object of Israel’s love.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: comparative preposition; Translation: “more than”; Notes: Introduces the comparison group.
  6. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies filios; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of sons contrasted with Joseph.
  7. filios — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of super; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Collective group contrasted with Joseph.
  8. suos — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies filios; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive reference to Israel.
  9. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: part of causal phrase eo quod; Translation: “because / for this reason”; Notes: Introduces causal relationship.
  10. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces subordinate causal clause; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Follows eo to form idiomatic construction.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces ablative of time; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks time during which action occurred.
  12. senectute — Lemma: senectūs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “old age”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s advanced age at Joseph’s birth.
  13. genuisset — Lemma: gignō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of subordinate causal clause; Translation: “had begotten”; Notes: Expresses completed cause prior to main clause.
  14. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of genuisset; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph.
  15. fecitque — Lemma: faciō + -que; Part of Speech: verb (+ enclitic conjunction); Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he made”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed act; enclitic -que continues narrative.
  16. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Recipient of the tunic; dative of advantage.
  17. tunicam — Lemma: tunica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of fecit; Translation: “tunic / coat”; Notes: Symbol of favor and status in ancient Near Eastern culture.
  18. polymitam — Lemma: polymitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies tunicam; Translation: “many-colored / richly woven”; Notes: Indicates ornate craftsmanship; from Greek roots polys (“many”) + mytos (“thread”).

 

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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