Genesis 42:22

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:22 E quibus unus Ruben, ait: Numquid non dixi vobis: Nolite peccare in puerum: et non audistis me? en sanguis eius exquiritur.

And one of them, Ruben, said: “Did I not say to you: Do not sin against the boy? and you did not listen to me; behold, his blood is being required.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 E from PREP+ABL
2 quibus whom ABL.PL.M.REL
3 unus one NOM.SG.M
4 Ruben Reuben NOM.SG.M
5 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 Numquid surely…? ADV.INT
7 non not ADV
8 dixi I said 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 vobis to you DAT.PL
10 Nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
11 peccare to sin PRES.ACT.INF
12 in against PREP+ACC
13 puerum the boy ACC.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 non not ADV
16 audistis you listened 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
17 me me ACC.SG
18 en behold INTERJ
19 sanguis blood NOM.SG.M
20 eius of him GEN.SG.M
21 exquiritur is required 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND

Syntax

Prepositional + Relative Phrase:
• E quibus unus Ruben — “And from them, one—Reuben.”
— e quibus = “from among whom.”
— unus Ruben = subject.

Main Speech Verb:
• ait — introduces direct speech.

Rhetorical Question:
• Numquid non dixi vobis — “Did I not say to you…?”
— negative rhetorical question expecting “yes.”

Prohibition:
• Nolite peccare in puerum — “Do not sin against the boy.”
— nolíte + infinitive = negative command.
— in puerum = hostile sense “against.”

Accusation:
• et non audistis me — “and you did not listen to me.”
— audistis perfect.

Resulting Divine Justice:
• en sanguis eius exquiritur — “behold, his blood is being required.”
— exquiritur = divine/legal retribution.

Morphology

  1. E — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: “from among”; Translation: “from”; Notes: partitive origin.
  2. quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of e; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to the brothers.
  3. unus — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “one”; Notes: identifies the speaker.
  4. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: apposition to unus; Translation: “Reuben”; Notes: eldest brother.
  5. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: present indicative third person singular; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: standard narrative verb.
  6. Numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: invariable; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “surely…?”; Notes: expects affirmative answer.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: strengthens rhetorical charge.
  8. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative first person singular; Function: verb of speech; Translation: “I said”; Notes: completed past action.
  9. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: addressed to the brothers.
  10. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative second person plural; Function: negative command; Translation: “do not”; Notes: classical negative prohibition.
  11. peccare — Lemma: pecco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive to nolite; Translation: “to sin”; Notes: moral wrongdoing.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses hostility; Translation: “against”; Notes: hostile usage.
  13. puerum — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “the boy”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: adds further indictment.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: expresses refusal to listen.
  16. audistis — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative second person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “you listened”; Notes: implies culpable disregard.
  17. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of audistis; Translation: “me”; Notes: Reuben’s warning ignored.
  18. en — Lemma: en; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: invariable; Function: calls attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: dramatic emphasis.
  19. sanguis — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “blood”; Notes: metaphor for guilt.
  20. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “of him”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  21. exquiritur — Lemma: exquiro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “is required”; Notes: judicial or divine retribution.

 

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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