Genesis 41:51

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:51 Vocavitque nomen primogeniti, Manasses, dicens: Oblivisci me fecit Deus omnium laborum meorum, et domus patris mei.

And he called the name of the firstborn Manasses, saying: “God has made me forget all my labors and my father’s house.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vocavitque and he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 nomen the name ACC.SG.N
3 primogeniti of the firstborn GEN.SG.M
4 Manasses Manasses NOM.SG.M (proper noun)
5 dicens saying NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
6 Oblivisci to forget PRES.PASS.INF (DEPONENT FORM)
7 me me ACC.SG
8 fecit has made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Deus God NOM.SG.M
10 omnium of all GEN.PL.N
11 laborum labors GEN.PL.M
12 meorum my GEN.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 domus house NOM.SG.F
15 patris of (my) father GEN.SG.M
16 mei my GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Naming Clause:
• Vocavitque nomen primogeniti Manasses
— Vocavitque = main verb (“and he called”).
— nomen = direct object.
— primogeniti = genitive of possession (“of the firstborn”).
— Manasses = predicate nominative naming the son.

Participial Introduction to Direct Speech:
• dicens introduces the explanation for the naming.

Direct Speech Clause:
• Oblivisci me fecit Deus omnium laborum meorum
— Oblivisci = complementary infinitive (“to forget”).
— me = object of infinitive.
— fecit = main verb of clause.
— Deus = subject.
— omnium laborum meorum = genitive phrase (“of all my labors”).

Coordinate Clause:
• et domus patris mei
— Coordination by ellipsis: “[and (He made me forget)] the house of my father.”
— domus = implied additional object of oblivisci.
— patris mei = genitive chain.

Morphology

  1. Vocavitque — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he called”; Notes: -que links to previous narrative.
  2. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “name”; Notes: object of naming verb.
  3. primogeniti — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the firstborn”; Notes: refers to Manasseh.
  4. Manasses — Lemma: Manasses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate naming; Translation: “Manasses”; Notes: Hebrew name meaning “causing to forget.”
  5. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: agrees with Joseph.
  6. Oblivisci — Lemma: obliviscor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present passive infinitive (deponent in form but active in meaning); Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to forget”; Notes: governs accusative me.
  7. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of oblivisci; Translation: “me”; Notes: personal pronoun.
  8. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: verb governing complementary infinitive; Translation: “has made”; Notes: causative force.
  9. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Joseph attributes blessing to God.
  10. omnium — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies laborum; Translation: “of all”; Notes: totality emphasized.
  11. laborum — Lemma: labor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: governed by omnium; Translation: “labors”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s hardships.
  12. meorum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies laborum; Translation: “my”; Notes: possessive emphasis.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates final phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: introduces second object of implied infinitive.
  14. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: elliptical object of oblivisci; Translation: “house”; Notes: elliptical construction common in Vulgate style.
  15. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of (my) father”; Notes: identifies household.
  16. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “my”; Notes: expresses lineage.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.