Genesis 37:27

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:27 Melius est ut venundetur Ismaelitis, et manus nostræ non polluantur: frater enim, et caro nostra est. Acquieverunt fratres sermonibus illius.

It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh.” His brothers agreed to his words.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Melius better ADV.COMP
2 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 ut that CONJ.SUBORD
4 venundetur he be sold V.3SG.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
5 Ismaelitis to the Ishmaelites NOUN.DAT.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 manus hands NOUN.NOM.PL.F
8 nostræ our ADJ.POSS.NOM.PL.F
9 non not ADV.NEG
10 polluantur be defiled V.3PL.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
11 frater brother NOUN.NOM.SG.M
12 enim for CONJ.EXPL
13 et and CONJ
14 caro flesh NOUN.NOM.SG.F
15 nostra our ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.F
16 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 Acquieverunt they agreed V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
18 fratres brothers NOUN.NOM.PL.M
19 sermonibus to the words NOUN.DAT.PL.M
20 illius of him / his PRON.DEM.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Comparative clause: Melius est ut venundetur Ismaelitis — the impersonal construction Melius est (“it is better”) governs a subordinate clause introduced by ut with subjunctive venundetur (“that he be sold”). The dative Ismaelitis marks the buyer or recipient.

Coordinated clause: et manus nostræ non polluantur — parallel subjunctive expressing the moral concern that “our hands be not defiled.” non negates the verb, while manus nostræ serves as the subject.

Reason clause: frater enim et caro nostra est — explanatory use of enim introducing the reason: “for he is our brother and our flesh.” frater and caro are in nominative, both equated with est.

Final narrative clause: Acquieverunt fratres sermonibus illius — perfect indicative of acquiesco marks completed consent; sermonibus illius is dative complement (“to his words”), showing Judah’s persuasion succeeded.

Morphology

  1. Melius — Lemma: bene; Part of Speech: adverb (comparative form); Form: comparative adverb; Function: modifies est; Translation: “better”; Notes: Used impersonally in moral judgments or advice.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms impersonal construction with Melius.
  3. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces noun clause after Melius est; Translation: “that”; Notes: Standard construction for expressions of propriety or advisability.
  4. venundetur — Lemma: venumdō (venum + dō); Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present subjunctive passive; Function: verb of the ut clause; Translation: “he be sold”; Notes: Subjunctive of proposal; passive voice emphasizes the act done to Joseph rather than the agent.
  5. Ismaelitis — Lemma: Ismaēlīta; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object (to whom he is sold); Translation: “to the Ishmaelites”; Notes: Traders descending from Ishmael, recurring caravan merchants.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins the second ut-clause idea; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links moral reasoning to pragmatic concern.
  7. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of polluantur; Translation: “hands”; Notes: Symbol of guilt or purity in biblical idiom.
  8. nostræ — Lemma: noster, -tra, -trum; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies manus; Translation: “our”; Notes: Emphasizes shared moral responsibility among the brothers.
  9. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates polluantur; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denotes moral negation rather than mere factual absence.
  10. polluantur — Lemma: polluō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present subjunctive passive; Function: verb of second coordinated clause; Translation: “be defiled”; Notes: Subjunctive under ut of propriety; passive voice stresses avoidance of guilt or ritual contamination.
  11. frater — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Marks familial bond as moral reason for restraint.
  12. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates causal reasoning behind previous proposal.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links parallel nouns frater and caro; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connective linking moral kinship expressions.
  14. caro — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject (with frater) of est; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Figuratively, one’s own kin or substance; common Semitic idiom.
  15. nostra — Lemma: noster, -tra, -trum; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies caro; Translation: “our”; Notes: Reinforces familial and physical connection.
  16. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: copula linking frater and caro nostra; Translation: “is”; Notes: States moral identity equivalence.
  17. Acquieverunt — Lemma: acquiescō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of narrative conclusion; Translation: “they agreed / yielded”; Notes: Perfect tense showing resolution accepted.
  18. fratres — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of Acquieverunt; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Collective subject representing Joseph’s siblings.
  19. sermonibus — Lemma: sermō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object (dative of reference) with Acquieverunt; Translation: “to the words”; Notes: “Words” here means counsel or proposal.
  20. illius — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies sermonibus; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Judah, the speaker whose advice prevailed.

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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