Genesis 43:27

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:27 At ille, clementer resalutatis eis, interrogavit eos, dicens: Salvusne est pater vester senex, de quo dixeratis mihi? Adhuc vivit?

But he, after kindly greeting them in return, questioned them, saying: “Is your aged father well, of whom you spoke to me? Is he still living?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEM
3 clementer kindly ADV
4 resalutatis having greeted again ABL.PL.M.PPP
5 eis them ABL.PL.M
6 interrogavit he questioned 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 eos them ACC.PL.M
8 dicens saying NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
9 Salvusne is … well? NOM.SG.M + ENCLITIC
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 pater father NOM.SG.M
12 vester your NOM.SG.M.POSS
13 senex old NOM.SG.M.ADJ
14 de about PREP+ABL
15 quo whom ABL.SG.M.REL
16 dixeratis you had said 2PL.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
17 mihi to me DAT.SG.1P
18 Adhuc still ADV
19 vivit does he live? 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Opening contrast: At ille — shifts from the brothers to Joseph.
Ablative absolute: clementer resalutatis eis — “after kindly greeting them in return.”
Main clause: interrogavit eos — verb interrogavit, object eos.
Participial frame: dicens — introduces direct speech.
First question: Salvusne est pater vester senex? — subject pater vester senex, verb est, enclitic -ne marks yes/no question.
Relative clause: de quo dixeratis mihi — subordinate clause modifying pater.
Second question: Adhuc vivit? — present tense expressing ongoing life.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: adversative; Function: marks contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: softer than “sed.”
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject referring to Joseph; Translation: “he”; Notes: emphatic demonstrative.
  3. clementer — Lemma: clementer; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies resalutatis; Translation: “kindly”; Notes: derived from “clemens.”
  4. resalutatis — Lemma: resaluto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having greeted again”; Notes: expresses prior action.
  5. eis — Lemma: is/ea/id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of ablative absolute; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers.
  6. interrogavit — Lemma: interrogo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he questioned”; Notes: completed action.
  7. eos — Lemma: is/ea/id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to the brothers.
  8. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: introduces quoted speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: contemporaneous action.
  9. Salvusne — Lemma: salvus + -ne; Part of Speech: adjective with enclitic particle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate; Translation: “is … well?”; Notes: enclitic -ne marks yes/no question.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: links predicate.
  11. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “father”; Notes: head noun of question.
  12. vester — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies pater; Translation: “your”; Notes: plural possessors.
  13. senex — Lemma: senex; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: epithet of pater; Translation: “aged”; Notes: emphasizes frailty.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “about”; Notes: expresses reference.
  15. quo — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition de; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to the father.
  16. dixeratis — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you had said”; Notes: prior to Joseph’s inquiry.
  17. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  18. Adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: expresses continuation; Translation: “still”; Notes: signals expectation.
  19. vivit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of second question; Translation: “does he live?”; Notes: simple present of ongoing life.

 

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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