Genesis 41:56

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:56 Crescebat autem quotidie fames in omni terra: aperuitque Ioseph universa horrea, et vendebat Ægyptiis: nam et illos oppresserat fames.

But the famine increased daily in all the land; and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine had also oppressed them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Crescebat was increasing 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
2 autem but ADV
3 quotidie daily ADV
4 fames famine NOM.SG.F
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 omni all ABL.SG.F
7 terra land ABL.SG.F
8 aperuitque and he opened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
9 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M
10 universa all ACC.PL.N
11 horrea storehouses ACC.PL.N
12 et and CONJ
13 vendebat sold 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
14 Ægyptiis to the Egyptians DAT.PL.M
15 nam for CONJ
16 et also ADV
17 illos them ACC.PL.M
18 oppresserat had oppressed 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
19 fames famine NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1:
• Crescebat autem quotidie fames in omni terra — “But the famine increased daily in all the land.”
— Crescebat = main verb (imperfect, ongoing increase).
— fames = subject.
— in omni terra = locative phrase.
— autem = adversative (“but”).
— quotidie = temporal adverb.

Main Clause 2:
• aperuitque Ioseph universa horrea — “and Joseph opened all the storehouses.”
— aperuit = main verb.
— -que = enclitic “and.”
— Ioseph = subject.
— universa horrea = direct object.

Main Clause 3:
• et vendebat Ægyptiis — “and he sold to the Egyptians.”
— vendebat = ongoing action.
— Ægyptiis = indirect object.

Causal Clause:
• nam et illos oppresserat fames — “for the famine had also oppressed them.”
— oppresserat = pluperfect verb.
— fames = subject.
— illos = object.

Morphology

  1. Crescebat — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was increasing”; Notes: durative aspect.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adversative marker; Translation: “but”; Notes: contrasts worsening famine with prior abundance.
  3. quotidie — Lemma: quotidie; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: time modifier; Translation: “daily”; Notes: intensifies increasing famine.
  4. fames — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “famine”; Notes: second time used in this verse.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: introduces spatial phrase.
  6. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “all”; Notes: totality of region.
  7. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: refers to Egypt.
  8. aperuitque — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: introduces second main clause; Translation: “and he opened”; Notes: enclitic -que links actions.
  9. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: administrative authority.
  10. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies horrea; Translation: “all”; Notes: emphasizes completeness of access.
  11. horrea — Lemma: horreum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “storehouses”; Notes: granaries for state grain.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: links actions.
  13. vendebat — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third person singular; Function: expresses continuous action; Translation: “was selling”; Notes: ongoing commercial policy.
  14. Ægyptiis — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the Egyptians”; Notes: Egypt’s inhabitants.
  15. nam — Lemma: nam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: explains preceding action.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: adverb (here); Form: invariable; Function: intensifies inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: highlights Egyptians were not exempt.
  17. illos — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of oppresserat; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to Egyptians.
  18. oppresserat — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third person singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: “had oppressed”; Notes: earlier-than-imperfect timeframe.
  19. fames — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “the famine”; Notes: closing emphasis.

 

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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