Genesis 44:19

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:19 dominus meus. Interrogasti prius servos tuos: Habetis patrem, aut fratrem?

my lord. You asked previously your servants: ‘Have you a father, or a brother?’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dominus lord NOM.SG.M
2 meus my NOM.SG.M.ADJ
3 Interrogasti you asked 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 prius before / previously ADV
5 servos servants ACC.PL.M
6 tuos your ACC.PL.M.ADJ
7 Habetis have you 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
8 patrem a father ACC.SG.M
9 aut or CONJ
10 fratrem a brother ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Vocative Address:
• dominus meus — “my lord,” direct address to Joseph as a human superior (not YHWH).

Statement of Prior Inquiry:
• Interrogasti prius servos tuos — “You asked your servants previously.”
– Interrogasti = main verb.
– servos tuos = object (“your servants”).

Quoted Question:
• Habetis patrem, aut fratrem? — direct quotation of Joseph’s earlier interrogative.
– Habetis = 2nd plural direct question.
– patrem / fratrem = double object.
– aut = exclusive “or.”

Morphology

  1. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: vocative used in formal address; Translation: “lord”; Notes: refers to Joseph, human authority.
  2. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies dominus; Translation: “my”; Notes: vocative sense despite nominative form.
  3. Interrogasti — Lemma: interrogo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you asked”; Notes: completed past action.
  4. prius — Lemma: prius; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal modifier; Translation: “previously”; Notes: contrasts earlier interrogation with present plea.
  5. servos — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of Interrogasti; Translation: “servants”; Notes: Judah speaking of himself and his brothers.
  6. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies servos; Translation: “your”; Notes: expresses subordination to Joseph.
  7. Habetis — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd plural; Function: verb of quoted direct question; Translation: “have you?”; Notes: interrogative tone determined by punctuation.
  8. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of Habetis; Translation: “a father”; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  9. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces second alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: exclusive disjunction.
  10. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second direct object of Habetis; Translation: “a brother”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.

 

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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