Genesis 41:5

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:5 rursum dormivit, et vidit alterum somnium: Septem spicæ pullulabant in culmo uno plenæ atque formosæ:

he slept again, and he saw another dream: seven ears of grain were sprouting on one stalk, full and beautiful;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 rursum again ADV
2 dormivit slept V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
3 et and CONJ
4 vidit saw V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
5 alterum another ADJ.ACC.SG.N
6 somnium dream NOUN.ACC.SG.N
7 Septem seven NUM.INDECL
8 spicæ ears (of grain) NOUN.NOM.PL.F
9 pullulabant were sprouting V.3PL.IMPF.IND.ACT
10 in on PREP+ABL
11 culmo stalk NOUN.ABL.SG.M
12 uno one ADJ.ABL.SG.M
13 plenæ full ADJ.NOM.PL.F
14 atque and CONJ
15 formosæ beautiful ADJ.NOM.PL.F

Syntax

Main sequence:
rursum dormivit, et vidit alterum somnium — “he slept again, and he saw another dream.”
• dormivit and vidit: coordinated perfect verbs.
• alterum somnium: direct object of vidit.

Vision description:
Septem spicæ pullulabant in culmo uno — “seven ears were sprouting on one stalk.”
• Septem spicæ is the subject.
• pullulabant describes continuous visionary action.
• in culmo uno: ablative of place where.

Predicate adjectives:
plenæ atque formosæ — “full and beautiful.”
• Both modify spicæ.
• Describes quality rather than action.

Morphology

  1. rursum — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: “again”; Notes: Indicates repetition of sleeping.
  2. dormivit — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “slept”; Notes: Perfect of completed action.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating conjunction.
  4. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “saw”; Notes: Introduces dream content.
  5. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies somnium; Translation: “another”; Notes: Distinguishes second dream.
  6. somnium — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “dream”; Notes: Refers to the second dream.
  7. Septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier modifying spicæ; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Parallels earlier dream count.
  8. spicæ — Lemma: spica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “ears (of grain)”; Notes: Agricultural imagery typical of Egypt.
  9. pullulabant — Lemma: pullulo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb of dream description; Translation: “were sprouting”; Notes: Imperfect vivid in dream narrative.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “on”; Notes: Indicates where the sprouting occurred.
  11. culmo — Lemma: culmus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “stalk”; Notes: Ablative of place.
  12. uno — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies culmo; Translation: “one”; Notes: Stresses unity of the stalk.
  13. plenæ — Lemma: plenus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “full”; Notes: Conveys abundance.
  14. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Stronger than et.
  15. formosæ — Lemma: formosus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective modifying spicæ; Translation: “beautiful”; Notes: Suggests perfection of growth.

 

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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