Genesis 43:16

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:16 Quos cum ille vidisset, et Beniamin simul, præcepit dispensatori domus suæ, dicens: Introduc viros domum, et occide victimas, et instrue convivium: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie.

And when he saw them, and Benjamin together, he commanded the steward of his house, saying: “Bring the men into the house, and kill the victims, and prepare the banquet; for they are to eat with me at noon.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quos whom ACC.PL.M.REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 ille he NOM.SG.M
4 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
5 et and CONJ
6 Beniamin Benjamin ACC.SG.M
7 simul together ADV
8 præcepit he ordered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 dispensatori to the steward DAT.SG.M
10 domus of the house GEN.SG.F
11 suæ his GEN.SG.F.POSS
12 dicens saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
13 Introduc bring in 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
14 viros the men ACC.PL.M
15 domum into the house ACC.SG.F
16 et and CONJ
17 occide kill 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
18 victimas the victims ACC.PL.F
19 et and CONJ
20 instrue prepare 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
21 convivium the banquet ACC.SG.N
22 quoniam because CONJ
23 mecum with me PREP+ABL
24 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
25 comesturi about to eat NOM.PL.M.FUT.ACT.PTCP
26 meridie at noon ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Temporal-relative clause: Quos cum ille vidisset — “when he had seen them,” with Quos as object and vidisset as subjunctive in a circumstantial clause.
Additional object: et Beniamin simul — coordinated object with adverb emphasizing togetherness.

Main clause: præcepit dispensatori domus suæ — Subject ille (understood), verb præcepit, indirect object dispensatori, genitive phrase domus suæ modifying.

Indirect discourse (commands):
• Introduc viros domum
• occide victimas
• instrue convivium

Causal clause: quoniam mecum sunt comesturi meridie — Future active participle comesturi with sunt forms periphrastic future.

Morphology

  1. Quos — Lemma: qui/quae/quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of vidisset; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: temporal; Function: introduces circumstantial clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: triggers subjunctive.
  3. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  4. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: subjunctive for circumstantial clause.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins Beniamin to object; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  6. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: coordinated object of vidisset; Translation: “Benjamin”; Notes: youngest brother.
  7. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: modifies perception; Translation: “together”; Notes: emphasizes unity.
  8. præcepit — Lemma: praecipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he ordered”; Notes: authoritative command.
  9. dispensatori — Lemma: dispensator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to the steward”; Notes: household overseer.
  10. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: denotes stewardship domain.
  11. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies domus; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive possession.
  12. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: “saying”; Notes: contemporaneous action.
  13. Introduc — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: “bring in”; Notes: directed to steward.
  14. viros — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “the men”; Notes: Joseph’s brothers.
  15. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: destination; Translation: “into the house”; Notes: motion toward building.
  16. et — same as above.
  17. occide — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: “kill”; Notes: slaughter animals for meal.
  18. victimas — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object; Translation: “victims”; Notes: sacrificial animals.
  19. et — same as above.
  20. instrue — Lemma: instruo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active 2nd singular; Function: command; Translation: “prepare”; Notes: arrangement for feast.
  21. convivium — Lemma: convivium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “banquet”; Notes: feast to be shared.
  22. quoniam — Lemma: quoniam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: causal; Function: introduces reason; Translation: “because”; Notes: explanatory.
  23. mecum — Lemma: cum + me; Part of Speech: prepositional form; Form: ablative singular; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with me”; Notes: enclitic -cum.
  24. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd plural; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “they are”; Notes: forms periphrastic future.
  25. comesturi — Lemma: comesturus; Part of Speech: future active participle; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: “about to eat”; Notes: expresses near-future intention.
  26. meridie — Lemma: meridies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “at noon”; Notes: specifies time of meal.

 

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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