Genesis 39:21

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:21 Fuit autem Dominus cum Ioseph, et misertus illius dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris.

But the LORD was with Joseph, and having shown him mercy, gave him favor in the sight of the chief of the prison.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Fuit was V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 autem but / however CONJ.ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 cum with PREP+ABL
5 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.ABL.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 misertus having had mercy V.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.M.DEP
8 illius of him PRON.GEN.SG.M
9 dedit gave V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
10 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
11 gratiam favor NOUN.ACC.SG.F
12 in in / before PREP+ABL
13 conspectu sight / presence NOUN.ABL.SG.M
14 principis of the chief NOUN.GEN.SG.M
15 carceris of the prison NOUN.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Fuit autem Dominus cum Ioseph — “But the LORD was with Joseph.” Dominus is the subject, fuit is the main verb, and cum Ioseph is a prepositional phrase expressing divine accompaniment.
Participial Clause: et misertus illius — “and having had mercy on him,” a deponent participle expressing cause or attendant circumstance.
Main Clause 2: dedit ei gratiam in conspectu principis carceris — “He gave him favor in the sight of the chief of the prison.” The LORD is the implied subject; ei is the indirect object, and gratiam the direct object.
This structure highlights divine favor and providence — YHWH’s continuing presence transforming Joseph’s captivity into a moment of grace.

Morphology

  1. Fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of existence; Translation: “was”; Notes: Denotes a completed state — YHWH’s continual presence with Joseph.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connective; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Introduces contrast with preceding human injustice.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of fuit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s covenantal name in the Vulgate tradition.
  4. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Denotes divine companionship and favor.
  5. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine (indeclinable form); Function: object of cum; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: The patriarch’s Hebrew name preserved in Latin orthography.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects parallel actions of divine favor; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates divine mercy with presence.
  7. misertus — Lemma: misereor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent, participial); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: participle modifying Dominus; Translation: “having had mercy”; Notes: Deponent in form but active in meaning; implies compassionate divine initiative.
  8. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: object of misertus; Translation: “of him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph as the recipient of mercy.
  9. dedit — Lemma: dō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “gave”; Notes: Expresses bestowal of favor by divine action.
  10. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of dedit; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph as the recipient of divine favor.
  11. gratiam — Lemma: grātia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of dedit; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Connotes divine goodwill and acceptance.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses position or context; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used with ablative to mark the place of perception or recognition.
  13. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “sight / presence”; Notes: Literally “in the eyes” or “in the view” of another.
  14. principis — Lemma: prīnceps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies conspectu; Translation: “of the chief”; Notes: Refers to the warden or overseer of the prison.
  15. carceris — Lemma: carcer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying principis; Translation: “of the prison”; Notes: Identifies the institutional domain of the official’s authority.

 

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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