Genesis 43:15

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:15 Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Beniamin: descenderuntque in Ægyptum, et steterunt coram Ioseph.

Therefore the men took the gifts, and the double money, and Benjamin; and they went down into Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulerunt they took 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 viri the men NOM.PL.M
4 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
5 et and CONJ
6 pecuniam money ACC.SG.F
7 duplicem double ACC.SG.F
8 et and CONJ
9 Beniamin Benjamin ACC.SG.M
10 descenderuntque and they went down 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCLITIC
11 in into PREP+ACC
12 Ægyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 steterunt they stood 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
15 coram before PREP+ABL
16 Ioseph Joseph ABL.SG.M

Syntax

First main clause: Tulerunt ergo viri munera, et pecuniam duplicem, et Beniamin — Subject viri + Verb Tulerunt with three coordinated direct objects.
Second main clause: descenderuntque in Ægyptum — Motion verb with prepositional phrase in Ægyptum.
Third main clause: et steterunt coram Ioseph — Stative verb with prepositional expression of position coram Ioseph.
Connectors: ergo indicates logical consequence; et … et … et creates coordinated sequence.

Morphology

  1. Tulerunt — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they took”; Notes: perfect tense narrating action.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: logical connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: marks result of prior context.
  3. viri — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Jacob’s sons.
  4. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: diplomatic tribute.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  6. pecuniam — Lemma: pecunia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “money”; Notes: payment to satisfy Joseph’s demand.
  7. duplicem — Lemma: duplex; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies pecuniam; Translation: “double”; Notes: compensatory amount.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds the next object; Translation: “and”; Notes: part of triplet.
  9. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of Tulerunt; Translation: “Benjamin”; Notes: special emphasis on this son.
  10. descenderuntque — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and they went down”; Notes: -que connects to previous clause.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion into; Translation: “into”; Notes: directional usage.
  12. Ægyptum — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: destination of journey.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues narrative sequence.
  14. steterunt — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they stood”; Notes: denotes respectful posture.
  15. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses physical presence before; Translation: “before”; Notes: often used for formal audience.
  16. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: scene of judgment or meeting.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.