Genesis 44:12

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:12 Quos scrutatus, incipiens a maiore usque ad minimum, invenit scyphum in sacco Beniamin.

Whom he searched, beginning from the eldest even to the youngest, he found the goblet in the sack of Beniamin.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quos whom ACC.PL.M
2 scrutatus having searched NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.DEP
3 incipiens beginning NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PRES.ACT
4 a from PREP+ABL
5 maiore the elder ABL.SG.M
6 usque even to ADV
7 ad to PREP+ACC
8 minimum the youngest ACC.SG.M
9 invenit he found 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 scyphum goblet ACC.SG.M
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 sacco sack ABL.SG.M
13 Beniamin Beniamin GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Relative Object: Quos — the brothers being searched.
Participial Construction: scrutatus — deponent participle giving the action preceding discovery.
Participial Phrase of Manner: incipiens a maiore usque ad minimum — describes orderly sequence of search.
Main Clause: invenit scyphum in sacco Beniamin — verb + object + location phrase.

Morphology

  1. Quos — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of scrutatus; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers.
  2. scrutatus — Lemma: scrutor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: modifies implied subject; Translation: “having searched”; Notes: deponent with active sense.
  3. incipiens — Lemma: incipio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: describes simultaneous action; Translation: “beginning”; Notes: marks the order of search.
  4. a — Lemma: a; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses starting point; Translation: “from”; Notes: used with comparative sequence.
  5. maiore — Lemma: major; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of a; Translation: “the elder”; Notes: comparative form.
  6. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifies ad; Translation: “even to”; Notes: part of directional phrase.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks range endpoint; Translation: “to”; Notes: pairs with usque.
  8. minimum — Lemma: minimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the youngest”; Notes: refers to Beniamin.
  9. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he found”; Notes: decisive discovery.
  10. scyphum — Lemma: scyphus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “goblet”; Notes: Joseph’s silver cup.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in”; Notes: spatial placement.
  12. sacco — Lemma: saccus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “sack”; Notes: specific container.
  13. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “of Beniamin”; Notes: standard Vulgate spelling.

 

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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