Genesis 41:41

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:41 Dixitque rursus Pharao ad Ioseph: Ecce, constitui te super universam terram Ægypti.

And Pharao again said to Joseph: “Behold, I have set you over the whole land of Egypt.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 rursus again ADV
3 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Ioseph Joseph ACC.SG.M
6 Ecce behold INTERJ
7 constitui I have set 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 te you ACC.SG
9 super over PREP+ACC
10 universam the whole ACC.SG.F
11 terram land ACC.SG.F
12 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Narrative Frame:
• Dixitque rursus Pharao ad Ioseph — “And Pharaoh again said to Joseph.”
— Dixitque = main verb with enclitic.
— Pharao = subject.
— ad Ioseph = indirect object.

Direct Statement:
• Ecce, constitui te super universam terram Ægypti — “Behold, I have set you over the whole land of Egypt.”
— constitui = main verb of declaration.
— te = object.
— super universam terram Ægypti = prepositional phrase expressing Joseph’s authority.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular with -que; Function: narrative verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: -que links this statement to the previous one.
  2. rursus — Lemma: rursus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: modifies dixit; Translation: “again”; Notes: emphasizes repetition.
  3. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: the speaker.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: used with verbs of speaking.
  5. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: addressee.
  6. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: draws attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: introduces a solemn proclamation.
  7. constitui — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative first person singular; Function: main verb of the declaration; Translation: “I have set”; Notes: expresses Pharaoh’s official appointment.
  8. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “you”; Notes: Joseph as the appointed official.
  9. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses authority over; Translation: “over”; Notes: administrative sense of ruling.
  10. universam — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “the whole”; Notes: total scope.
  11. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: “land”; Notes: refers to Egypt’s territory.
  12. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of Egypt”; Notes: specifies which land.

 

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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