Genesis 42:14

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:14 Hoc est, ait, quod locutus sum: Exploratores estis.

“This is,” he said, “what I have spoken: You are spies.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hoc this NOM.SG.N.DEM
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (HISTORIC)
4 quod what NOM.SG.N.REL
5 locutus spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.DEP.PTCP
6 sum I have 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
7 Exploratores spies NOM.PL.M
8 estis you are 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Assertion:
• Hoc est — “This is…”
— Hoc introduces the statement he is identifying or reiterating.

Parenthetical Reporting Verb:
• ait — “he said,” historic present for vivid narration.

Content Clause:
• quod locutus sum — “what I have spoken.”
— locutus sum is perfect deponent (“I have spoken / I said”).
— quod links the demonstration (Hoc) with Joseph’s prior accusation.

Direct Accusation:
• Exploratores estis — “You are spies.”
— predicate nominative expressing Joseph’s formal charge.

Morphology

  1. Hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: points to the content he is clarifying.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: links subject with predicate clause.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular (historic present); Function: introduces Joseph’s speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: vivid narrative device.
  4. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: introduces content clause; Translation: “what”; Notes: refers to prior claim.
  5. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of perfect deponent; Translation: “spoken”; Notes: deponent with active sense.
  6. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present active indicative first person singular; Function: auxiliary to deponent participle; Translation: “I have”; Notes: forms perfect deponent “I have spoken.”
  7. Exploratores — Lemma: explorator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “spies”; Notes: restatement of the accusation.
  8. estis — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative second person plural; Function: main verb of accusation; Translation: “you are”; Notes: emphatic declaration.

 

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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