Genesis 41:44

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:44 Dixit quoque rex ad Ioseph: Ego sum Pharao: absque tuo imperio non movebit quisquam manum aut pedem in omni terra Ægypti.

The king also said to Joseph: “I am Pharao; without your command no one shall move hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 rex the king NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Ioseph Joseph ACC.SG.M
6 Ego I NOM.SG
7 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M
9 absque without PREP+ABL
10 tuo your ABL.SG.M
11 imperio command ABL.SG.N
12 non not ADV
13 movebit shall move 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 quisquam anyone NOM.SG.M
15 manum a hand ACC.SG.F
16 aut or CONJ
17 pedem a foot ACC.SG.M
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 omni all ABL.SG.F
20 terra land ABL.SG.F
21 Aegypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Narrative Frame:
• Dixit quoque rex ad Ioseph — “The king also said to Joseph.”
— Dixit = main verb.
— rex = subject.
— ad Ioseph = indirect object.

Solemn Declaration:
• Ego sum Pharao — “I am Pharaoh.”
— A formal assertion of royal authority.

Negative Universal Prohibition:
• absque tuo imperio non movebit quisquam manum aut pedem
— movebit = main verb of prohibition.
— quisquam = universal negative subject.
— manum aut pedem = coordinated objects.
— absque tuo imperio = “without your command,” ablative of separation.

Locative Phrase:
• in omni terra Aegypti — “in all the land of Egypt.”
— Specifies Joseph’s absolute authority throughout Egypt.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: narrative verb.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: continues Pharaoh’s statements.
  3. rex — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the king”; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks the addressee; Translation: “to”; Notes: used with verbs of speaking.
  5. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: the recipient.
  6. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: emphatic.
  7. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative first person singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “am”; Notes: simple copula.
  8. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: royal identity.
  9. absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation/lack; Translation: “without”; Notes: strong negative requirement.
  10. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies imperio; Translation: “your”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  11. imperio — Lemma: imperium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of absque; Translation: “command”; Notes: denotes authority.
  12. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates movebit; Translation: “not”; Notes: universal prohibition.
  13. movebit — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall move”; Notes: expresses prohibition.
  14. quisquam — Lemma: quisquam; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of movebit; Translation: “anyone”; Notes: used in negative clauses.
  15. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of movebit; Translation: “hand”; Notes: figurative expression of action.
  16. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links alternatives; Translation: “or”; Notes: balances manum and pedem.
  17. pedem — Lemma: pes; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second object of movebit; Translation: “foot”; Notes: idiom: “no one shall take any action.”
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: spatial limitation.
  19. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “all”; Notes: comprehensive scope.
  20. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: refers to Egypt.
  21. Aegypti — Lemma: Aegyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: specifies the land; Translation: “of Egypt”; Notes: Joseph’s jurisdiction.

 

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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