Genesis 39:11

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:11 Accidit autem quadam die ut intraret Ioseph domum, et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret:

And it happened one day that Joseph entered the house and was doing some work, without anyone else present;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Accidit it happened V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 autem but / moreover CONJ.ADV
3 quadam on a certain / one ADJ.ABL.SG.F
4 die day NOUN.ABL.SG.F
5 ut that / when CONJ.SUBORD
6 intraret entered / might enter V.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.ACT
7 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.NOM.SG.M (proper)
8 domum house / home NOUN.ACC.SG.F
9 et and CONJ
10 operis of work / task NOUN.GEN.SG.N
11 quippiam something / a bit PRON.INDEF.ACC.SG.N
12 absque without PREP+ABL
13 arbitris witnesses / onlookers NOUN.ABL.PL.M
14 faceret was doing / might do V.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Accidit autem quadam die — impersonal construction “it happened one day,” with ablative of time quadam die (“on a certain day”).
Subordinate Clause: ut intraret Ioseph domum — ut + imperfect subjunctive introduces a circumstantial clause describing the event that occurred.
Second Action: et operis quippiam absque arbitris faceret — parallel imperfect subjunctive expressing simultaneous action, “and that he was doing some work without witnesses.”
The phrase absque arbitris is an ablative of separation, meaning “without any onlookers present,” marking the fateful solitude of the scene.

Morphology

  1. Accidit — Lemma: accidō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: impersonal main verb; Translation: “it happened”; Notes: Used impersonally in narrative introductions.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connective; Translation: “but / moreover”; Notes: Introduces a shift or continuation in story.
  3. quadam — Lemma: quīdam; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies die; Translation: “on a certain”; Notes: Indefinite modifier indicating a specific but unspecified day.
  4. die — Lemma: diēs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: “day”; Notes: Expresses temporal setting.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces circumstantial or result clause; Translation: “that / when”; Notes: Common in narrative to link main and subordinate events.
  6. intraret — Lemma: intrō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb in ut-clause; Translation: “entered / might enter”; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive marks contemporaneous action in past narrative.
  7. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of intraret; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: The central actor of the clause.
  8. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of motion with intraret; Translation: “house”; Notes: Accusative of place to which.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects subordinate verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates simultaneous actions.
  10. operis — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: partitive genitive with quippiam; Translation: “of work”; Notes: Indicates type of action performed.
  11. quippiam — Lemma: quippiam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of faceret; Translation: “something / a bit”; Notes: Expresses unspecified small amount or action.
  12. absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes absence; Translation: “without”; Notes: Frequent in Vulgate for “without the presence of.”
  13. arbitris — Lemma: arbiter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of absque; Translation: “witnesses / observers”; Notes: Suggests isolation and vulnerability to accusation.
  14. faceret — Lemma: faciō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: second verb of ut-clause; Translation: “was doing / might do”; Notes: Subjunctive parallels intraret, marking same temporal sphere of event.

 

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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