Genesis 39:6

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:6 nec quidquam aliud noverat, nisi panem quo vescebatur. Erat autem Ioseph pulchra facie, et decorus aspectu.

and he knew nothing else, except the bread which he ate. But Joseph was beautiful in face and handsome in appearance.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nec nor / and not CONJ.NEG
2 quidquam anything / anything else PRON.INDEF.NOM/ACC.SG.N
3 aliud other / else ADJ.NOM/ACC.SG.N
4 noverat knew V.3SG.PLUPERF.IND.ACT
5 nisi except CONJ.EXCEPT
6 panem bread NOUN.ACC.SG.M
7 quo which PRON.REL.ABL.SG.M
8 vescebatur he ate / was eating V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.DEP
9 Erat was V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
10 autem but / however CONJ.ADV
11 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
12 pulchra beautiful ADJ.NOM.SG.F
13 facie in face / of face NOUN.ABL.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 decorus handsome / comely ADJ.NOM.SG.M
16 aspectu in appearance / by look NOUN.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1: nec quidquam aliud noverat — pluperfect indicative expressing complete ignorance: “he knew nothing else.” The negative nec governs the entire clause.
Exception Phrase: nisi panem quo vescebatur — exceptive clause modifying the verb, “except the bread which he ate.”
Clause 2: Erat autem Ioseph pulchra facie et decorus aspectu — copulative construction: erat links Ioseph with predicate adjectives describing his beauty.
Both ablatives (facie, aspectu) are ablatives of respect (“beautiful in face, handsome in appearance”), a common idiom in classical and biblical Latin emphasizing aesthetic qualities.

Morphology

  1. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable negative; Function: connects and negates; Translation: “nor / and not”; Notes: Continues the negation from previous context of total trust.
  2. quidquam — Lemma: quidquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject/object of noverat; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Used in negative sense with nec.
  3. aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies quidquam; Translation: “other / else”; Notes: Strengthens total negation.
  4. noverat — Lemma: nōscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “he knew”; Notes: Describes completed knowledge state of ignorance of other matters.
  5. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces exception; Translation: “except”; Notes: Marks the only thing he concerned himself with.
  6. panem — Lemma: pānis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of noverat; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Possibly metaphorical for “food” or “sustenance.”
  7. quo — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by which”; Notes: Refers to panem in relative clause.
  8. vescebatur — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative; Function: predicate in relative clause; Translation: “he ate / was eating”; Notes: Takes ablative object quo; expresses habitual action.
  9. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Introduces descriptive clause about Joseph’s appearance.
  10. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrastive connector; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Contrasts physical beauty with previous prosperity.
  11. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of erat; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Center of the narrative’s transition from prosperity to temptation.
  12. pulchra — Lemma: pulcher; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies facie; Translation: “beautiful”; Notes: Ablative of respect in phrase “pulchra facie.”
  13. facie — Lemma: faciēs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of respect; Translation: “in face”; Notes: Denotes physical beauty.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinate adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects two descriptive complements.
  15. decorus — Lemma: decorus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “handsome”; Notes: Describes aesthetic impression.
  16. aspectu — Lemma: aspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of respect; Translation: “in appearance”; Notes: Refers to overall bearing and physical presence.

 

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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