Genesis 39:22

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:22 Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat.

Who delivered into his hand all the prisoners who were kept in custody, and whatever was done was under his authority.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who PRON.REL.NOM.SG.M
2 tradidit delivered V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
3 in into / to PREP+ACC
4 manu hand NOUN.ABL.SG.F
5 illius of him / his PRON.GEN.SG.M
6 universos all ADJ.ACC.PL.M
7 vinctos prisoners NOUN.ACC.PL.M
8 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 custodia custody NOUN.ABL.SG.F
11 tenebantur were held / kept V.3PL.IMPERF.IND.PASS
12 et and CONJ
13 quidquid whatever / everything that PRON.INDEF.NOM/ACC.SG.N
14 fiebat was done / happened V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.PASS
15 sub under PREP+ABL
16 ipso him / his authority PRON.ABL.SG.M
17 erat was V.3SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT

Syntax

Relative Clause 1: Qui tradidit in manu illius universos vinctos qui in custodia tenebantur — describes the princeps carceris (“chief of the prison”), who entrusted all prisoners to Joseph’s care. The verb tradidit governs universos vinctos as direct object and in manu illius as indirect phrase of transfer (“into his hand”). The second qui introduces a subordinate relative clause modifying vinctos.
Main Clause 2: et quidquid fiebat, sub ipso erat — “and whatever was done was under his authority.” The neuter pronoun quidquid functions as the subject of erat, with sub ipso expressing subordination or administrative control.
This structure underscores Joseph’s promotion within the prison — a divine reversal of his captivity.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of tradidit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the chief of the prison who delegated authority to Joseph.
  2. tradidit — Lemma: trādō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the first relative clause; Translation: “delivered / entrusted”; Notes: Indicates transfer of responsibility or authority.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks figurative movement of authority “into Joseph’s hand.”
  4. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine (4th declension); Function: object of preposition in (with sense of possession or control); Translation: “hand”; Notes: Symbol of power or delegated authority.
  5. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of manu; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, the recipient of trust.
  6. universos — Lemma: ūniversus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies vinctos; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of prisoners under Joseph’s care.
  7. vinctos — Lemma: vinctus; Part of Speech: noun (participle used substantively); Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of tradidit; Translation: “prisoners”; Notes: Literally “those bound,” referring to inmates.
  8. qui — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of tenebantur; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces subordinate clause specifying which prisoners.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Denotes state of confinement.
  10. custodia — Lemma: custōdia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “custody”; Notes: Refers to physical detention or prison watch.
  11. tenebantur — Lemma: teneō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect indicative passive; Function: main verb of subordinate relative clause; Translation: “were kept”; Notes: Describes continuous condition of imprisonment.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links second main statement about Joseph’s administrative oversight.
  13. quidquid — Lemma: quisquis; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative or accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of erat; Translation: “whatever / everything that”; Notes: Denotes general, indefinite totality of actions.
  14. fiebat — Lemma: fiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative passive; Function: descriptive verb in dependent clause; Translation: “was done / happened”; Notes: Passive of facere, describing ongoing occurrences.
  15. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses subordination or authority; Translation: “under”; Notes: Indicates subjection to Joseph’s supervision.
  16. ipso — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: intensive pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of sub; Translation: “him / his authority”; Notes: Adds emphasis — “under his very authority.”
  17. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Expresses continual state of administrative subjection.

 

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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