Genesis 39:15

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:15 et audisset vocem meam, reliquit pallium quod tenebam, et fugit foras.

and when he heard my voice, he left the cloak that I was holding, and fled outside.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 audisset had heard V.3SG.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
3 vocem voice NOUN.ACC.SG.F
4 meam my ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.F
5 reliquit left V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
6 pallium cloak NOUN.ACC.SG.N
7 quod which / that PRON.REL.ACC.SG.N
8 tenebam I was holding V.1SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
9 et and CONJ
10 fugit fled V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
11 foras outside ADV

Syntax

Temporal Clause: et audisset vocem meam — et joins this pluperfect subjunctive clause (“and when he had heard my voice”) with the previous statement, continuing the false testimony.
Main Clause 1: reliquit pallium quod tenebam — the subject (he, i.e., Joseph) performs the action “left the cloak that I was holding”; the relative clause quod tenebam modifies pallium.
Main Clause 2: et fugit foras — perfect indicative continues the narrative, “and fled outside,” emphasizing Joseph’s innocence through rapid action in contrast to her deceitful tone.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects subordinate clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the temporal and main clauses in narrative sequence.
  2. audisset — Lemma: audiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb in temporal subordinate clause; Translation: “had heard”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses the circumstantial cause preceding the main event.
  3. vocem — Lemma: vōx; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of audisset; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Represents the supposed cry of the woman.
  4. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies vocem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes self-pity and false indignation.
  5. reliquit — Lemma: relinquō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “he left”; Notes: Describes Joseph’s act of abandoning the garment to escape.
  6. pallium — Lemma: pallium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of reliquit; Translation: “cloak”; Notes: Central piece of evidence later used in the false accusation.
  7. quod — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause modifying pallium; Translation: “which / that”; Notes: Agrees in gender and number with pallium.
  8. tenebam — Lemma: teneō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “I was holding”; Notes: Continuous aspect denotes her ongoing grip when he escaped.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins the final verb phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two main perfect verbs in quick succession.
  10. fugit — Lemma: fugiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of motion; Translation: “fled”; Notes: Indicates decisive, immediate escape from danger.
  11. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of direction; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Conveys the sense of sudden flight from the inner chambers to safety.

 

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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