Genesis 43:12

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:12 Pecuniam quoque duplicem ferte vobiscum: et illam, quam invenistis in sacculis, reportate, ne forte errore factum sit:

Carry also double money with you; and that which you found in your bags, take back, lest perhaps it was done by mistake;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Pecuniam money ACC.SG.F
2 quoque also ADV
3 duplicem double ACC.SG.F
4 ferte carry 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 vobiscum with you PREP+ABL
6 et and CONJ
7 illam that ACC.SG.F
8 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL
9 invenistis you found 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 in in PREP+ABL
11 sacculis bags ABL.PL.M
12 reportate take back 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
13 ne lest CONJ
14 forte perhaps ADV
15 errore by mistake ABL.SG.M
16 factum done NOM.SG.N.PPP
17 sit was / may have been 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main command: Pecuniam duplicem ferte vobiscum — imperative with direct object pecuniam duplicem and adverbial phrase vobiscum.
Coordinate command: et illam … reportate — second imperative linked by et.
Relative clause: quam invenistis in sacculis — modifies illam, with verb invenistis and locative phrase in sacculis.
Negative clause: ne forte errore factum sit — clause of precaution, with subjunctive sit and ablative of cause errore.
Predicate: factum — nominative agreeing with implied neuter subject.

Morphology

  1. Pecuniam — Lemma: pecunia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of ferte; Translation: “money”; Notes: object of command.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: intensifies inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: adds to instructions.
  3. duplicem — Lemma: duplex; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies pecuniam; Translation: “double”; Notes: expresses quantity.
  4. ferte — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd plural; Function: main command; Translation: “carry”; Notes: directive to sons.
  5. vobiscum — Lemma: cum + vobis; Part of Speech: prepositional form; Form: ablative plural; Function: adverbial; Translation: “with you”; Notes: enclitic -cum.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  7. illam — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of reportate; Translation: “that”; Notes: refers to earlier money found.
  8. quam — Lemma: qui/quae/quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of invenistis; Translation: “which”; Notes: agrees with illam.
  9. invenistis — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you found”; Notes: completed past action.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: static location.
  11. sacculis — Lemma: sacculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “bags”; Notes: the money-bags.
  12. reportate — Lemma: reporto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd plural; Function: command; Translation: “take back”; Notes: restitution.
  13. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative purpose; Function: introduces clause; Translation: “lest”; Notes: signals caution.
  14. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: softens clause; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: uncertain possibility.
  15. errore — Lemma: error; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: “by mistake”; Notes: expresses reason.
  16. factum — Lemma: facio/ficio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate with sit; Translation: “done”; Notes: implied subject “it.”
  17. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of negative purpose clause; Translation: “may have been”; Notes: subjunctive required after ne.

 

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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