Genesis 43:26

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4326 Igitur ingressus est Ioseph domum suam, obtuleruntque ei munera, tenentes in manibus suis: et adoraverunt proni in terram.

Therefore Joseph entered his house, and they offered gifts to him, holding them in their hands; and they bowed down, prostrate to the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Igitur therefore ADV
2 ingressus having entered NOM.SG.M.PPP.DEP
3 est he 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M
5 domum into the house ACC.SG.F
6 suam his ACC.SG.F
7 obtuleruntque and they offered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ei to him DAT.SG.M
9 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
10 tenentes holding NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 manibus hands ABL.PL.F
13 suis their ABL.PL.F
14 et and CONJ
15 adoraverunt they bowed down 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
16 proni prostrate NOM.PL.M
17 in to / toward PREP+ACC
18 terram the ground ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Introductory adverb: Igitur — resumes narrative progression.
Periphrastic deponent perfect: ingressus est Ioseph domum suam — subject Ioseph; verb phrase expresses completed entrance.
Coordinated clause: obtuleruntque ei munera — subject implied “they,” verb obtulerunt, indirect object ei, direct object munera.
Circumstantial participial phrase: tenentes in manibus suis — describes the manner of offering.
Final coordinated action: et adoraverunt proni in terram — verb adoraverunt with predicative participle proni indicates posture, and prepositional phrase in terram specifies direction of prostration.

Morphology

  1. Igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: logical transition; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: resumes storyline.
  2. ingressus — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: perfect participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: forms perfect with est; Translation: “having entered”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “he”; Notes: completes periphrastic perfect.
  4. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: indeclinable foreign name.
  5. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: motion toward; Translation: “into the house”; Notes: accusative expresses direction.
  6. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies domum; Translation: “his”; Notes: reflexive to Joseph.
  7. obtuleruntque — Lemma: offero (ob + fero); Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and they offered”; Notes: enclitic links tightly to previous clause.
  8. ei — Lemma: is/ea/id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  9. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: presents or offerings.
  10. tenentes — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: circumstantial modifier; Translation: “holding”; Notes: describes their manner.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: static location.
  12. manibus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “hands”; Notes: fourth-declension noun.
  13. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies manibus; Translation: “their”; Notes: reflexive to the brothers.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: sequential action.
  15. adoraverunt — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they bowed down / worshiped”; Notes: gesture of deep respect.
  16. proni — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate modifier of subject; Translation: “prostrate”; Notes: describes posture.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: with accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “into / to”; Notes: motion toward surface.
  18. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “the ground”; Notes: gesture of homage.

 

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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