Genesis 42:18

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:18 Die autem tertio eductis de carcere, ait: Facite quæ dixi, et vivetis: Deum enim timeo.

But on the third day, when they had been brought out of the prison, he said: “Do what I have told you, and you shall live; for I fear God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Die day ABL.SG.M
2 autem however ADV
3 tertio third ABL.SG.M
4 eductis having been led out ABL.PL.M.PPP
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 carcere prison ABL.SG.M
7 ait he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 Facite do 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
9 quæ the things which ACC.PL.N.REL
10 dixi I have said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 et and CONJ
12 vivetis you shall live 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
13 Deum God ACC.SG.M
14 enim for ADV
15 timeo I fear 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Phrase:
• Die autem tertio — “But on the third day.”
— ablative of time when.

Ablative Absolute:
• eductis de carcere — “when they had been brought out of the prison.”
— eductis + carcere form the circumstance.

Main Clause:
• ait — “he said.”
— introduces direct speech.

Imperative Command:
• Facite quæ dixi — “Do what I have said.”
— quæ dixi = relative clause functioning as object.

Consequence Clause:
• et vivetis — “and you shall live.”
— future expressing result.

Causal Clause:
• Deum enim timeo — “for I fear God.”
— Joseph grounds his fairness in divine reverence.

Morphology

  1. Die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “day”; Notes: used to mark the specific day of action.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: mild contrast; Translation: “however”; Notes: soft transitional particle.
  3. tertio — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies die; Translation: “third”; Notes: ordinal in ablative of time.
  4. eductis — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: head of ablative absolute; Translation: “having been led out”; Notes: indicates completed action prior to main verb.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: literal spatial source.
  6. carcere — Lemma: carcer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: complement of de; Translation: “prison”; Notes: place of confinement.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: standard narrative verb.
  8. Facite — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person plural; Function: command; Translation: “do”; Notes: urgent instruction.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object within relative clause; Translation: “the things which”; Notes: substantive relative.
  10. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative first person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have said”; Notes: refers to earlier instructions.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins two results; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  12. vivetis — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative second person plural; Function: expresses consequence; Translation: “you shall live”; Notes: conditionally promised life.
  13. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of timeo; Translation: “God”; Notes: Joseph invokes divine authority.
  14. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: causal connector; Translation: “for”; Notes: explains Joseph’s fairness.
  15. timeo — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I fear”; Notes: reverential fear of God motivates Joseph’s justice.

 

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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