Genesis 44:25

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:25 Et dixit pater noster: Revertimini, et emite nobis parum tritici.

And our father said: ‘Return, and buy for us a little wheat.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 pater father NOM.SG.M
4 noster our NOM.SG.M.ADJ
5 Revertimini return 2PL.PRES.DEP.IMP
6 et and CONJ
7 emite buy 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 nobis for us DAT.PL.1ST
9 parum a little ACC.SG.N.ADV.NOUN
10 tritici wheat GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main clause: Et dixit pater noster — “And our father said.” Subject: pater noster. Verb: dixit (introducing direct command).
First imperative: Revertimini — “Return.” Deponent imperative addressed to the brothers.
Second imperative: emite nobis parum tritici — “buy for us a little wheat.” Verb: emite. Indirect object: nobis. Object phrase: parum tritici (“a small amount of wheat,” partitive genitive).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects this sentence to prior narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: standard narrative connector.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb introducing commands; Translation: “he said”; Notes: perfect tense presenting a completed utterance.
  3. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: “father”; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  4. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies pater; Translation: “our”; Notes: indicates filial relationship.
  5. Revertimini — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present imperative 2nd plural; Function: direct command from Jacob; Translation: “return”; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the two imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins sequential instructions.
  7. emite — Lemma: emo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd plural; Function: second command; Translation: “buy”; Notes: command to acquire grain in Egypt.
  8. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural 1st person; Function: indirect object of emite; Translation: “for us”; Notes: indicates purchase on behalf of the family.
  9. parum — Lemma: parum; Part of Speech: substantive adverb/noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of emite; Translation: “a little”; Notes: used partitionally with genitive.
  10. tritici — Lemma: triticum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: partitive genitive modifying parum; Translation: “of wheat”; Notes: expresses quantity (“a little of wheat”).

 

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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