Genesis 37:29

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:29 Reversusque Ruben ad cisternam, non invenit puerum:

And Ruben, returning to the cistern, did not find the boy;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Reversusque and having returned PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M + CONJ
2 Ruben Reuben NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 cisternam pit / cistern NOUN.ACC.SG.F
5 non not ADV.NEG
6 invenit found V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 puerum boy NOUN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Participial phrase: Reversusque Ruben ad cisternam — ablative absolute-like structure with perfect participle reversus (“having returned”) functioning adjectivally with Ruben. The conjunction -que links the action to the previous verse, continuing the narrative.

Main clause: non invenit puerum — perfect tense indicates completed discovery (or lack thereof). The direct object puerum refers to Joseph; non negates the verb for dramatic emphasis.

Morphology

  1. Reversusque — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent participle with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle + enclitic -que; Function: modifies Ruben, linking to prior action; Translation: “and having returned”; Notes: The perfect participle of the deponent revertor retains active meaning; -que joins it narratively with what follows.
  2. Ruben — Lemma: Rūbēn; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of invenit; Translation: “Reuben”; Notes: Eldest son of Jacob, acting as intermediary in the Joseph narrative.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Denotes direction of Reuben’s return.
  4. cisternam — Lemma: cisterna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition ad; Translation: “pit / cistern”; Notes: The same pit Joseph had been thrown into; repetition anchors continuity.
  5. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates invenit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Highlights Reuben’s shock and despair upon discovering Joseph’s absence.
  6. invenit — Lemma: inveniō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: “he found”; Notes: Perfect tense marks a completed discovery event, contrasting expectation and result.
  7. puerum — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of invenit; Translation: “boy”; Notes: Refers to Joseph; the diminutive sense (“lad”) underscores his vulnerability.

 

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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