Genesis 37:36

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:36 Madianitæ vendiderunt Ioseph in Ægypto Putiphari eunucho Pharaonis magistro militum.

And the Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Putiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, the commander of the guard.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Madianitæ Midianites NOUN.NOM.PL.M (proper)
2 vendiderunt sold V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.ACC.SG.M (proper)
4 in in / into PREP+ACC
5 Ægypto Egypt NOUN.ABL.SG.F (proper)
6 Putiphari to Putiphar NOUN.DAT.SG.M (proper)
7 eunucho to the eunuch NOUN.DAT.SG.M
8 Pharaonis of Pharaoh NOUN.GEN.SG.M (proper)
9 magistro to the commander NOUN.DAT.SG.M
10 militum of the soldiers / guard NOUN.GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main clause: Madianitæ vendiderunt Ioseph — simple declarative statement with subject Madianitæ and direct object Ioseph. The perfect tense vendiderunt denotes completed past action: “The Midianites sold Joseph.”

Prepositional phrase: in Ægypto — locative sense of in with ablative indicating place of action: “in Egypt.”

Dative constructions: Putiphari eunucho Pharaonis magistro militum — a series of appositive datives identifying the buyer: “to Putiphar, a eunuch of Pharaoh, the commander of the guard.” Each successive noun further defines Putiphar’s role and rank.

Morphology

  1. Madianitæ — Lemma: Madianita; Part of Speech: proper noun (ethnic name); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of vendiderunt; Translation: “the Midianites”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of Midian, a trading people who purchased Joseph from his brothers.
  2. vendiderunt — Lemma: vendō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “sold”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed historical event of the sale.
  3. Ioseph — Lemma: Iōseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vendiderunt; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Object of transaction; Hebrew יוסף (Yosef).
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in / within”; Notes: Used locatively with Ægypto to mark the place of sale.
  5. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: The destination where Joseph becomes a slave.
  6. Putiphari — Lemma: Putiphar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of vendiderunt; Translation: “to Putiphar”; Notes: Egyptian officer who purchased Joseph, introduced by dative marking recipient.
  7. eunucho — Lemma: eunuchus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: appositive in dative to Putiphari; Translation: “to the eunuch”; Notes: Title of court official, not necessarily literal castration in ancient contexts.
  8. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharaō; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying eunucho; Translation: “of Pharaoh”; Notes: Specifies allegiance and service to the Egyptian ruler.
  9. magistro — Lemma: magister; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: second appositive in dative; Translation: “to the commander”; Notes: Adds military title, specifying Putiphar’s office in Pharaoh’s service.
  10. militum — Lemma: mīles; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying magistro; Translation: “of the soldiers / of the guard”; Notes: Indicates command over the royal guard or military corps.

 

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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