Genesis 44:15

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:15 Quibus ille ait: Cur sic agere voluistis? an ignoratis quod non sit similis mei in augurandi scientia?

To whom he said: “Why did you wish to act in this way? Do you not know that there is none like me in the skill of divination?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to whom DAT.PL.M/F.REL
2 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEMONSTR
3 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 Cur why ADV.INTERROG
5 sic thus / in this way ADV
6 agere to act PRES.ACT.INF
7 voluistis you wished 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 an or (expects yes/no) INTERROG.CONJ
9 ignoratis do you not know 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
10 quod that CONJ
11 non not ADV
12 sit there is 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
13 similis similar NOM.SG.M/INDECL.ADJ
14 mei to me GEN.SG.1STPRON
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 augurandi of divining GEN.SG.GERUND
17 scientia skill / knowledge ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Indirect address: Quibus ille ait — “to whom he said,” introducing Joseph’s words to his brothers.
Direct question: Cur sic agere voluistis? — “Why did you wish to act in this way?”
• agere as complementary infinitive to voluistis.

Second interrogative clause: an ignoratis — introduces a rhetorical question expecting an implied “you should know.”

Object clause introduced by quod:
• non sit similis mei — “that there is none like me,” with mei as genitive of comparison.
• in augurandi scientia — ablative of respect (“in regard to the skill of divination”).
augurandi (gerund) expresses the action “of divining.”

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative plural masculine/feminine; Function: indirect object of ait; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: refers to the brothers collectively.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “he”; Notes: refers to Joseph in dignified style.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: common verb for narrative speech.
  4. Cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces direct question; Translation: “why”; Notes: expresses reproach.
  5. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies agere; Translation: “thus / in this way”; Notes: points to their apparent guilt.
  6. agere — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with voluistis; Translation: “to act”; Notes: expresses the action they intended.
  7. voluistis — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: verb of first question; Translation: “you wished”; Notes: perfective: the act of wanting is complete.
  8. an — Lemma: an; Part of Speech: interrogative conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative rhetorical question; Translation: “or (do you not?)”; Notes: indicates Joseph’s challenge.
  9. ignoratis — Lemma: ignoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd plural; Function: verb of second question; Translation: “do you not know?”; Notes: rhetorical, expecting “you know.”
  10. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: governs the following subjunctive.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates sit; Translation: “not”; Notes: part of emphatic assertion.
  12. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of indirect statement; Translation: “there is”; Notes: subjunctive required after quod expressing belief/knowledge.
  13. similis — Lemma: similis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with sit; Translation: “similar”; Notes: used in comparison with genitive.
  14. mei — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: genitive of comparison with similis; Translation: “to me”; Notes: expresses comparison “none like me.”
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces respect/field; Translation: “in”; Notes: indicates sphere of expertise.
  16. augurandi — Lemma: auguro; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: genitive singular; Function: dependent on scientia; Translation: “of divining / of augury”; Notes: expresses the domain of skill.
  17. scientia — Lemma: scientia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of respect with in; Translation: “skill / knowledge”; Notes: technical knowledge or ability.

 

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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