Genesis 41:36

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:36 Et præparetur futuræ septem annorum fami, quæ oppressura est Ægyptum, et non consumetur terra inopia.

And let provision be made for the coming seven years of famine, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land will not be consumed by want.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 praeparetur let provision be made 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
3 futurae of the coming GEN.SG.F.FUT.ACT.PTCP
4 septem seven NUM.INVAR
5 annorum of years GEN.PL.M
6 fami of famine DAT.SG.F
7 quae which REL.PRON.NOM.SG.F
8 oppressura going to oppress NOM.SG.F.FUT.ACT.PTCP
9 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 Aegyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 non not ADV
13 consumetur will be consumed 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
14 terra the land NOM.SG.F
15 inopia by want ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Jussive Clause:
• praeparetur futurae septem annorum fami — “let provision be made for the coming seven years of famine.”
— praeparetur is a passive jussive subjunctive giving governmental instruction.
— futurae … fami is a dative of purpose (“for the coming famine”).
— septem annorum is a genitive phrase modifying fami.

Relative Clause:
• quae oppressura est Aegyptum — “which shall oppress Egypt.”
— quae = subject referring to fami.
— oppressura est = periphrastic future active.

Final Coordinated Clause:
• et non consumetur terra inopia — “and the land will not be consumed by want.”
— terra = subject.
— inopia = ablative of means.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  2. praeparetur — Lemma: praeparo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive third person singular; Function: jussive passive, giving instruction; Translation: “let provision be made”; Notes: administrative direction.
  3. futurae — Lemma: futurus; Part of Speech: participle; Form: genitive singular feminine future active participle; Function: modifies fami; Translation: “of the coming”; Notes: prophetic anticipation.
  4. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annorum; Translation: “seven”; Notes: cardinal number.
  5. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: specifies duration of famine; Translation: “of years”; Notes: genitive of measure.
  6. fami — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: dative of purpose/advantage; Translation: “for the famine”; Notes: indirect object of praeparetur.
  7. quae — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of oppressura est; Translation: “which”; Notes: agrees with fami.
  8. oppressura — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine future active participle; Function: predicate in periphrastic future; Translation: “going to oppress”; Notes: expresses impending severity.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: auxiliary forming periphrastic future; Translation: “is”; Notes: marks inevitability.
  10. Aegyptum — Lemma: Aegyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of oppressura est; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: region afflicted.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects prophetic outcome; Translation: “and”; Notes: continuation marker.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: modifies consumetur.
  13. consumetur — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “will be consumed”; Notes: contrasts preservation with destruction.
  14. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of consumetur; Translation: “the land”; Notes: land of Egypt.
  15. inopia — Lemma: inopia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by want”; Notes: tool of potential destruction.

 

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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