Genesis 42:20

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:20 et fratrem vestrum minimum ad me adducite, ut possim vestros probare sermones, et non moriamini. Fecerunt ut dixerat,

and bring your youngest brother to me, so that I may be able to test your words, and you shall not die.” They did as he had said,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
3 vestrum your ACC.SG.M.POSS
4 minimum youngest ACC.SG.M
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 me me ACC.SG
7 adducite bring 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 ut so that CONJ
9 possim I may be able 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 vestros your ACC.PL.M.POSS
11 probare to test PRES.ACT.INF
12 sermones words ACC.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 non not ADV
15 moriamini you may die 2PL.PRES.DEP.SUBJ
16 Fecerunt they did 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
17 ut as CONJ
18 dixerat he had said 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Coordinated Imperative Clause:
• et fratrem vestrum minimum ad me adducite — “and bring your youngest brother to me.”
— direct command continuing Joseph’s instructions.
— fratrem vestrum minimum = full object phrase.

Final Clause (Purpose):
• ut possim vestros probare sermones — “so that I may be able to test your words.”
— possim subjunctive showing purpose.
— vestros sermones = “your statements.”

Negative Result / Condition:
• et non moriamini — “and you shall not die.”
— moriamini = deponent subjunctive; dependent on ut implying consequence.

Narrative Closure:
• Fecerunt ut dixerat — “They did as he had said.”
— ut introduces clause of correspondence (“as”).
— perfect + pluperfect pair: action vs. prior instruction.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues previous commands.
  2. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “brother”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.
  3. vestrum — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies fratrem; Translation: “your”; Notes: ownership emphasis.
  4. minimum — Lemma: minimus; Part of Speech: adjective (superlative); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: further modifies fratrem; Translation: “youngest”; Notes: identifies Benjamin.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: motion towards Joseph.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “me”; Notes: Joseph speaking.
  7. adducite — Lemma: adduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person plural; Function: command; Translation: “bring”; Notes: urgent directive.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: “so that”; Notes: classical final clause marker.
  9. possim — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive first person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may be able”; Notes: dependent on ut.
  10. vestros — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies sermones; Translation: “your”; Notes: refers to brothers’ claims.
  11. probare — Lemma: probo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to test”; Notes: expresses purpose of possim.
  12. sermones — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of probare; Translation: “words”; Notes: their statements under scrutiny.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects result clause.
  14. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: expresses negative consequence.
  15. moriamini — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive second person plural; Function: dependent on ut; Translation: “you may die”; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  16. Fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they did”; Notes: marks obedient action.
  17. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: comparative/relative; Translation: “as”; Notes: introduces clause of conformity, not purpose.
  18. dixerat — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he had said”; Notes: refers to prior command of Joseph.

 

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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