Genesis 44:18

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:18 Accedens autem propius Iudas, confidenter ait: Oro domini mi, loquatur servus tuus verbum in auribus tuis, et ne irascaris famulo tuo: tu es enim post Pharaonem

Then Judas, drawing nearer, said confidently: “I pray, my lord, let your servant speak a word in your ears, and do not be angry with your servant, for you are after Pharao

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Accedens approaching NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
2 autem however CONJ
3 propius nearer ADV.COMP
4 Iudas Judah NOM.SG.M
5 confidenter confidently ADV
6 ait said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Oro I pray 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 domini my lord VOC.SG.M
9 mi my VOC.SG.M.ADJ
10 loquatur may he speak 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
11 servus servant NOM.SG.M
12 tuus your NOM.SG.M.ADJ
13 verbum a word ACC.SG.N
14 in into PREP+ACC
15 auribus ears ABL.PL.F
16 tuis your ABL.PL.F.ADJ
17 et and CONJ
18 ne do not NEG.PART
19 irascaris you be angry 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP
20 famulo servant DAT.SG.M
21 tuo your DAT.SG.M.ADJ
22 tu you NOM.SG.PRON
23 es are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
24 enim for CONJ
25 post after PREP+ACC
26 Pharaonem Pharaoh ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Narrative frame:
• Accedens autem propius Iudas — Judah approaches closer to Joseph.
– Accedens = circumstantial participle.
– propius functions adverbially.

Main verb of narrative:
• ait — introduces quoted speech.

Petition:
• Oro, domini mi — polite supplication addressed to a human lord (not YHWH).
• loquatur servus tuus verbum in auribus tuis
– jussive subjunctive loquatur, “may your servant speak.”
– in auribus tuis = idiom “in your hearing.”

Plea against anger:
• ne irascaris famulo tuo — negative subjunctive (“do not be angry”).

Reason clause:
• tu es enim post Pharaonem — “for you are after Pharaoh.”
– Rank and authority are acknowledged.

Morphology

  1. Accedens — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle describing Judah’s approach; Translation: “approaching”; Notes: modifies Iudas.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrasts narrative action; Translation: “however”; Notes: post-positive.
  3. propius — Lemma: propius; Part of Speech: adverb (comparative); Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies Accedens; Translation: “nearer”; Notes: comparative degree.
  4. Iudas — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: leader and spokesman.
  5. confidenter — Lemma: confidenter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies ait; Translation: “confidently”; Notes: shows boldness in approaching Joseph.
  6. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: defective verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: standard narrative verb.
  7. Oro — Lemma: oro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: polite request; Translation: “I pray”; Notes: expresses supplication.
  8. domini — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address to Joseph; Translation: “my lord”; Notes: human lord, not YHWH.
  9. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies domini; Translation: “my”; Notes: enclitic shortened form.
  10. loquatur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: jussive/subjunctive of polite request; Translation: “may (your servant) speak”; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  11. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of loquatur; Translation: “servant”; Notes: refers to Judah.
  12. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies servus; Translation: “your”; Notes: expressing humility.
  13. verbum — Lemma: verbum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of loquatur; Translation: “a word”; Notes: denotes a single, respectful speech unit.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in / into”; Notes: idiomatically “in someone’s hearing.”
  15. auribus — Lemma: auris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “ears”; Notes: literal plural.
  16. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies auribus; Translation: “your”; Notes: plural address.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: connects requests.
  18. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: negative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates subjunctive; Translation: “do not”; Notes: used with jussive.
  19. irascaris — Lemma: irascor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present subjunctive 2nd singular; Function: negative jussive; Translation: “you be angry”; Notes: deponent form.
  20. famulo — Lemma: famulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (your) servant”; Notes: humble self-designation.
  21. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies famulo; Translation: “your”; Notes: respectful speech.
  22. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of es; Translation: “you”; Notes: emphatic.
  23. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “are”; Notes: marks identity.
  24. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: post-positive; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: cannot appear first in a clause.
  25. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses rank or order; Translation: “after”; Notes: hierarchical comparison.
  26. Pharaonem — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of post; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: indicates Joseph’s status second only to Pharaoh.

 

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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