Genesis 39:2

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 38:2 Fuitque Dominus cum eo, et erat vir in cunctis prospere agens: habitavitque in domo domini sui,

And the LORD was with him, and he was a man prospering in all things; and he lived in the house of his master,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fuitque and was V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + ENCLITIC -que
2 Dominus the LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 cum with PREP+ABL
4 eo him PRON.PERS.ABL.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 erat was V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
7 vir man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 cunctis all things ADJ.ABL.PL.N
10 prospere prosperously ADV
11 agens doing / acting PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
12 habitavitque and lived V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + ENCLITIC -que
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 domo house NOUN.ABL.SG.F
15 domini of the master NOUN.GEN.SG.M
16 sui his PRON.REFL.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Fuitque Dominus cum eo — perfect active indicative, “and the LORD was with him,” a theological statement of divine favor.
Main Clause 2: erat vir in cunctis prospere agens — imperfect tense describes continuous prosperity; in cunctis (“in all things”) forms an ablative of respect.
Main Clause 3: habitavitque in domo domini sui — perfect tense narrates Joseph’s settled state of residence.
Stylistic Note: Repeated use of -que links each clause tightly, reflecting seamless divine oversight in narrative rhythm.

Morphology

  1. Fuitque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and was”; Notes: The perfect tense marks the narrative start of divine accompaniment.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fuit; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, signifying covenantal presence with Joseph.
  3. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Marks divine presence as accompanying Joseph.
  4. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, indicating divine favor directed to him personally.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine presence to the outcome of prosperity.
  6. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: “was”; Notes: Imperfect aspect emphasizes duration of his prosperous state.
  7. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “man”; Notes: Indicates maturity and strength of Joseph’s character.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces domain of prosperity; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks sphere of success (“in all things”).
  9. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies understood noun “rebus”; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Ablative of respect.
  10. prospere — Lemma: prosperē; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies agens; Translation: “prosperously”; Notes: Denotes successful outcome under divine favor.
  11. agens — Lemma: agō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: predicate with vir; Translation: “acting / doing”; Notes: Expresses Joseph’s ongoing successful management.
  12. habitavitque — Lemma: habitō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and lived”; Notes: Perfect marks the settled consequence of divine favor.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks Joseph’s residence.
  14. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “house”; Notes: Refers to the household of Putiphar.
  15. domini — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the master”; Notes: Identifies Putiphar as the owner of the household.
  16. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies domini; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to Joseph’s point of view (“his master”).

 

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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