Genesis 39:3

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

3 qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo, et omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi in manu illius.

who clearly knew that the LORD was with him, and that all things which he did were directed by Him in his hand.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.SG.M
2 optime very well / clearly ADV.SUPERL
3 noverat knew V.3SG.PLUPERF.IND.ACT
4 Dominum the LORD NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 esse to be V.INF.PRES.ACT
6 cum with PREP+ABL
7 eo him PRON.PERS.ABL.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 omnia all things PRON.INDEF.NOM.PL.N
10 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
11 gerebat he did / managed V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
12 ab by / from PREP+ABL
13 eo him PRON.PERS.ABL.SG.M
14 dirigi to be directed V.INF.PRES.PASS
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 manu hand NOUN.ABL.SG.F
17 illius his PRON.DEM.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: qui optime noverat Dominum esse cum eo — relative clause referring to Putiphar (“who very well knew that the LORD was with him”).
Indirect Statement 1: Dominum esse cum eo — infinitive clause as object of noverat.
Indirect Statement 2: omnia, quæ gerebat, ab eo dirigi — second infinitive clause, also governed by noverat, expressing what Putiphar perceived.
Prepositional Phrase: in manu illius — indicates agency and divine control (“in his hand”).
The sentence combines perception and theological insight, emphasizing divine direction through Joseph’s actions.

Morphology

  1. qui — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of noverat; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Putiphar, connecting back to the previous sentence.
  2. optime — Lemma: optimē; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: superlative degree; Function: modifies noverat; Translation: “very well / clearly”; Notes: Expresses complete certainty or awareness.
  3. noverat — Lemma: nōscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “he knew”; Notes: Perfective nuance indicates experiential knowledge gained by observation.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: subject accusative of infinitive esse; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s presence with Joseph.
  5. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: introduces indirect statement; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Used with noverat to express mental perception.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Expresses divine presence.
  7. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, the beneficiary of divine favor.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links two indirect statements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates parallel perceptions of divine favor.
  9. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of infinitive dirigi; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s affairs or actions.
  10. quæ — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of gerebat; Translation: “which”; Notes: Restrictive clause modifying omnia.
  11. gerebat — Lemma: gerō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “he did / managed”; Notes: Indicates Joseph’s continual activity or administration.
  12. ab — Lemma: ā / ab; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses agency; Translation: “by”; Notes: Introduces agent of divine direction.
  13. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: agent with ab; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the one directing Joseph’s deeds.
  14. dirigi — Lemma: dīrigō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive passive; Function: infinitive in indirect discourse; Translation: “to be directed”; Notes: Describes divine causation guiding Joseph’s success.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates instrument or location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Symbolically denotes divine control or empowerment.
  16. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Metaphorical for power or authority.
  17. illius — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of manu; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s hand — the instrument of divine direction.

 

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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