Genesis 39:16

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:16 In argumentum ergo fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito revertenti domum,

Therefore, as proof of her claim, she showed the cloak to her husband when he returned home,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 In in / as PREP+ACC
2 argumentum proof / evidence NOUN.ACC.SG.N
3 ergo therefore ADV
4 fidei of faith / of her claim NOUN.GEN.SG.F
5 retentum retained / kept V.PERF.PTCP.ACC.SG.N
6 pallium cloak NOUN.ACC.SG.N
7 ostendit showed V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
8 marito to (her) husband NOUN.DAT.SG.M
9 revertenti returning V.PRES.PTCP.DAT.SG.M
10 domum home NOUN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: In argumentum ergo fidei — an idiomatic Latin construction meaning “as proof of her claim,” with in + accusative expressing purpose or result.
Main Clause: retentum pallium ostendit marito — the subject (Potiphar’s wife) is implied; pallium is the direct object of ostendit, and marito is the indirect object (“to her husband”).
Participial Phrase: revertenti domum — dative participial phrase modifying marito (“to her husband returning home”).
The sentence combines accusation, deceit, and a legal tone—“argumentum fidei” implies false evidence used as proof.

Morphology

  1. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: “as / for”; Notes: Here used idiomatically to indicate purpose or role (“as proof”).
  2. argumentum — Lemma: argumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “proof / evidence”; Notes: Often used in legal or rhetorical Latin to mean “argument” or “demonstration.”
  3. ergo — Lemma: ergō; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Signals inferential logic — she acts to justify her false accusation.
  4. fidei — Lemma: fīdēs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification (“of her claim”); Translation: “of faith / of her claim”; Notes: Used ironically — the “faith” is a pretense of credibility.
  5. retentum — Lemma: retineō; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle, accusative singular neuter; Function: adjective modifying pallium; Translation: “retained / kept”; Notes: Indicates the cloak was kept back as physical evidence.
  6. pallium — Lemma: pallium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of ostendit; Translation: “cloak”; Notes: The object used deceitfully as supposed proof.
  7. ostendit — Lemma: ostendō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “showed”; Notes: Describes her deliberate, manipulative display of false evidence.
  8. marito — Lemma: marītus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of ostendit; Translation: “to (her) husband”; Notes: Refers to Potiphar, the Egyptian officer.
  9. revertenti — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: present participle dative singular masculine; Function: modifies marito; Translation: “returning”; Notes: Dative of the person receiving the action, describing the state of the husband upon arrival.
  10. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: accusative of motion toward; Translation: “home”; Notes: Common idiom without preposition after verbs or participles of motion (“to home”).

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.