Genesis 39:20

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:20 tradiditque Ioseph in carcerem, ubi vincti regis custodiebantur, et erat ibi clausus.

and he delivered Joseph into the prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept, and he was confined there.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 tradiditque and delivered V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + CONJ
2 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.ACC.SG.M
3 in into / to PREP+ACC
4 carcerem prison NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 ubi where ADV.REL
6 vincti prisoners NOUN.NOM.PL.M
7 regis of the king NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 custodiebantur were kept V.3PL.IMPERF.IND.PASS
9 et and CONJ
10 erat was V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
11 ibi there ADV
12 clausus shut / confined V.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: tradiditque Ioseph in carcerem — “And he delivered Joseph into the prison.” The subject is implied (Potiphar), and Ioseph serves as the direct object.
Relative Clause: ubi vincti regis custodiebantur — describes the specific prison: “where the king’s prisoners were kept.” ubi functions adverbially, introducing the clause.
Coordinated Clause: et erat ibi clausus — “and he was confined there.” The verb erat connects with the predicate participle clausus to express the state of imprisonment.
This verse bridges Potiphar’s reaction and Joseph’s unjust suffering, emphasizing his faithfulness despite adversity.

Morphology

  1. tradiditque — Lemma: trādō; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active + -que; Function: main verb linking sequential action; Translation: “and delivered”; Notes: Perfect tense narrates completed transfer of Joseph to prison.
  2. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: direct object of tradidit; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Retains Hebrew form even in Latinized declension contexts.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Spatial preposition marking destination of Joseph’s confinement.
  4. carcerem — Lemma: carcer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “prison”; Notes: Refers to the state prison for royal offenders.
  5. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces relative clause of place; Translation: “where”; Notes: Links descriptive subordinate clause about the prison’s occupants.
  6. vincti — Lemma: vinctus; Part of Speech: noun (participle used substantively); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of custodiebantur; Translation: “prisoners”; Notes: Literally “the bound ones.” Passive participle used as a noun.
  7. regis — Lemma: rēx; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying vincti; Translation: “of the king”; Notes: Specifies royal prisoners under the Pharaoh’s authority.
  8. custodiebantur — Lemma: custōdiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect indicative passive; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “were kept”; Notes: Passive expresses their ongoing state of imprisonment.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins consecutive actions in narrative sequence.
  10. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: copulative verb with clausus; Translation: “was”; Notes: Indicates ongoing state rather than completed action.
  11. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Reinforces physical location of confinement.
  12. clausus — Lemma: claudō; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with erat; Translation: “shut / confined”; Notes: Describes Joseph’s condition; participle conveys enduring state after the act of imprisonment.

 

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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