Genesis 41:52

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:52 Nomen quoque secundi appellavit Ephraim, dicens: Crescere me fecit Deus in terra paupertatis meæ.

And he also called the name of the second Ephraim, saying: “God has made me grow in the land of my poverty.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nomen the name ACC.SG.N
2 quoque also ADV
3 secundi of the second GEN.SG.M
4 appellavit he called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Ephraim Ephraim ACC.SG.M (proper noun)
6 dicens saying NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
7 Crescere to grow PRES.ACT.INF
8 me me ACC.SG
9 fecit has made 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Deus God NOM.SG.M
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 terra the land ABL.SG.F
13 paupertatis of poverty GEN.SG.F
14 meae my GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Naming Clause:
• Nomen quoque secundi appellavit Ephraim — “And he also called the name of the second Ephraim.”
— Nomen = direct object.
— secundi = genitive of possession (“of the second”).
— appellavit = main verb.
— Ephraim = predicate accusative naming the son.
— quoque adds: “also,” parallel to Manasseh’s naming.

Participial Introduction to Direct Speech:
• dicens — introduces explanation for the name Ephraim.

Direct Speech Clause:
• Crescere me fecit Deus — “God has made me grow.”
— Crescere = complementary infinitive.
— me = object of the infinitive.
— fecit = main verb.
— Deus = subject.

Prepositional Phrase:
• in terra paupertatis meae — “in the land of my poverty.”
— terra = ablative of location.
— paupertatis meae = genitive chain.

Morphology

  1. Nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of appellavit; Translation: “name”; Notes: object of naming.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds emphasis (“also”); Translation: “also”; Notes: parallels the previous naming of Manasseh.
  3. secundi — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the second”; Notes: refers to the younger son.
  4. appellavit — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he called”; Notes: naming formula.
  5. Ephraim — Lemma: Ephraim; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative; Translation: “Ephraim”; Notes: name meaning “fruitfulness” or “double fruitfulness.”
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: agrees with Joseph.
  7. Crescere — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with fecit; Translation: “to grow”; Notes: cause–effect construction.
  8. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of Crescere; Translation: “me”; Notes: Joseph as recipient of divine blessing.
  9. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: governs the complementary infinitive; Translation: “has made”; Notes: expresses causation.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Joseph attributes all blessing to divine agency.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: describes the place of divine blessing.
  12. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Egypt as land of affliction.
  13. paupertatis — Lemma: paupertas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “of poverty”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s earlier suffering.
  14. meae — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies paupertatis; Translation: “my”; Notes: personalizes Joseph’s affliction.

 

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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