Genesis 44:13

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:13 At illi, scissis vestibus, oneratisque rursum asinis, reversi sunt in oppidum.

But they, with their garments torn and their donkeys loaded again, returned to the town.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 illi they NOM.PL.M
3 scissis torn ABL.PL.F.PTCP.PERF.PASS
4 vestibus garments ABL.PL.F
5 oneratisque and loaded ABL.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
6 rursum again ADV
7 asinis donkeys ABL.PL.F
8 reversi having returned NOM.PL.M.PTCP.PERF.DEP
9 sunt they are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
10 in into PREP+ACC
11 oppidum town ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Contrastive Opening: At illi — introduces the brothers’ reaction.
Ablative Absolute 1: scissis vestibus — describes grief.
Ablative Absolute 2: oneratisque rursum asinis — describes their donkeys having been reloaded.
Main Clause: reversi sunt in oppidum — deponent perfect forming the main verbal idea.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: shifts narrative focus.
  2. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “they”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s brothers.
  3. scissis — Lemma: scindo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “torn”; Notes: ritual gesture of mourning.
  4. vestibus — Lemma: vestis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of ablative absolute; Translation: “garments”; Notes: accompanies scissis.
  5. oneratisque — Lemma: onero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “and loaded”; Notes: enclitic -que joins it to first ablative absolute.
  6. rursum — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies oneratis; Translation: “again”; Notes: indicates repetition.
  7. asinis — Lemma: asinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: complement of ablative absolute; Translation: “donkeys”; Notes: pack animals for the brothers.
  8. reversi — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative plural masculine perfect participle; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: “having returned”; Notes: deponent with active sense.
  9. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third plural; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “they are”; Notes: completes deponent perfect.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: direction toward Egypt’s town.
  11. oppidum — Lemma: oppidum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: “town”; Notes: destination of return.

 

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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