Genesis 43:28

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:28 Qui responderunt: Sospes est servus tuus pater noster, adhuc vivit. Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum.

They answered: “Your servant, our father, is safe; he is still living.” And bending low, they bowed down to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
2 responderunt they answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Sospes safe NOM.SG.M.ADJ
4 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 servus servant NOM.SG.M
6 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS
7 pater father NOM.SG.M
8 noster our NOM.SG.M.POSS
9 adhuc still ADV
10 vivit he lives 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 Et and CONJ
12 incurvati bent low NOM.PL.M.PPP
13 adoraverunt they bowed down 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
14 eum him ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Relative clause as main subject: Qui responderunt — “who answered”; qui = the brothers.
Direct speech:
— Sospes est servus tuus pater noster: predicate adjective Sospes, verb est, subject servus tuus pater noster.
— adhuc vivit: simple present expressing ongoing life.
Coordinated narrative action: Et incurvati, adoraverunt eum — perfect participle incurvati (circumstantial) plus perfect verb adoraverunt with object eum.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of responderunt; Translation: “who”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers.
  2. responderunt — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they answered”; Notes: completed verbal response.
  3. Sospes — Lemma: sospes; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “safe / well”; Notes: formal, slightly archaic Latin.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: links predicate to subject.
  5. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject complement (in speech of humility); Translation: “servant”; Notes: polite Near Eastern expression.
  6. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies servus; Translation: “your”; Notes: addressed to Joseph.
  7. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: in apposition to servus; Translation: “father”; Notes: speaker’s father.
  8. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies pater; Translation: “our”; Notes: plural possessors.
  9. adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “still”; Notes: implies continued life.
  10. vivit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he lives”; Notes: simple present.
  11. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links subsequent action; Translation: “and”; Notes: sequential.
  12. incurvati — Lemma: incurvo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “having bent down / bowed low”; Notes: describes posture.
  13. adoraverunt — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they bowed down / worshiped”; Notes: gesture of homage.
  14. eum — Lemma: is/ea/id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “him”; Notes: refers to Joseph.

 

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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