Genesis 42:31

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:31 Cui respondimus: Pacifici sumus, nec ullas molimur insidias.

To whom we answered: ‘We are peaceful, and we are not plotting any ambushes.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M/F/N (REL.PRON)
2 respondimus we answered 1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Pacifici peaceful NOM.PL.M
4 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
5 nec and not CONJ
6 ullas any ACC.PL.F
7 molimur we are plotting 1PL.PRES.DEP.IND
8 insidias ambushes ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Relative Clause Connection: Cui links back to the lord of the land in the previous verse.
Main Clause: respondimus — subject “we” implied, verb “answered,” recipient expressed by Cui.
Reported Speech: Pacifici sumus — predicate nominative construction: “we are peaceful.”
Coordinated Negative Clause: nec ullas insidias molimur — “and we are not plotting any ambushes.”
• molimur is a deponent verb with active meaning.
• ullas insidias = direct object phrase expressing complete negation.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular (all genders); Function: indirect object; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Connects to the lord of the land.
  2. respondimus — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we answered”; Notes: Perfect denoting completed action.
  3. Pacifici — Lemma: pacificus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “peaceful”; Notes: Describes the subject.
  4. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st plural; Function: linking verb; Translation: “we are”; Notes: Connects subject to predicate.
  5. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative; Function: introduces negative clause; Translation: “and not”; Notes: Strengthens denial.
  6. ullas — Lemma: ullus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “insidias”; Translation: “any”; Notes: Used chiefly in negative clauses.
  7. molimur — Lemma: molior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present deponent indicative 1st plural; Function: main verb of negative clause; Translation: “we are plotting”; Notes: Deponent, passive form with active meaning.
  8. insidias — Lemma: insidiae; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “ambushes”; Notes: Plural-only noun in Latin.

 

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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