Genesis 41:9

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:9 Tunc demum reminiscens pincernarum magister, ait: Confiteor peccatum meum:

Then at last the chief of the cupbearers, remembering, said: “I acknowledge my fault;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tunc then ADV
2 demum at last ADV
3 reminiscens remembering PRES.DEP.PART.NOM.SG.M
4 pincernarum of the cupbearers GEN.PL.F
5 magister chief NOM.SG.M
6 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Confiteor I confess 1SG.PRES.DEP.IND
8 peccatum sin, fault ACC.SG.N
9 meum my ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Adverbial frame: Tunc demum — temporal emphasis meaning “then at last.”
Subject phrase: magister pincernarum — “the chief of the cupbearers,” with pincernarum as a dependent genitive.
Participial phrase: reminiscens — nominative participle modifying magister.
Main verb: ait — introduces direct speech.
Direct speech: Confiteor peccatum meum — first-person confession.
Object in direct speech: peccatum meum — the sin/fault acknowledged.

Morphology

  1. Tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: temporal adverb; Function: sets time; Translation: “then”; Notes: marks narrative progression.
  2. demum — Lemma: demum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “at last”; Notes: intensifies tunc.
  3. reminiscens — Lemma: reminiscor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present participle; Function: modifies magister; Translation: “remembering”; Notes: deponent verb used actively.
  4. pincernarum — Lemma: pincerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the cupbearers”; Notes: forms a genitive of subordination.
  5. magister — Lemma: magister; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “chief”; Notes: head servant of the royal cupbearers.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: a defective verb used mainly in dialogue.
  7. Confiteor — Lemma: confiteor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: first person singular present indicative; Function: main verb of direct speech; Translation: “I confess”; Notes: expresses admission of guilt.
  8. peccatum — Lemma: peccatum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “fault”; Notes: refers to wrongdoing against Pharaoh.
  9. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies peccatum; Translation: “my”; Notes: emphasizes personal responsibility.

 

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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