Genesis 44:29

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:29 Si tuleritis et istum, et aliquid ei in via contigerit, deducetis canos meos cum mœrore ad inferos.

If you take also this one, and anything should happen to him on the way, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the lower regions.’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Si if CONJ
2 tuleritis you take 2PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
3 et also / and CONJ
4 istum this one ACC.SG.M.DEM
5 et and CONJ
6 aliquid something NOM/ACC.SG.N.INDEF
7 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
8 in on PREP+ABL
9 via the way ABL.SG.F
10 contigerit happens 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
11 deducetis you will bring down 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
12 canos gray hairs ACC.PL.M
13 meos my ACC.PL.M.POSS
14 cum with PREP+ABL
15 mœrore sorrow ABL.SG.M
16 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
17 inferos the lower regions ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Conditional protasis: Si tuleritis et istum — “If you take also this one.”
• Verb: tuleritis (future perfect).
• Object: istum.

Second protasis element: et aliquid ei in via contigerit — “and something happens to him on the way.”
• Verb: contigerit.
• Subject: aliquid.
• Indirect object: ei.
• Locative phrase: in via.

Apodosis: deducetis canos meos cum mœrore ad inferos — “you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the lower regions.”
• Verb: deducetis.
• Object: canos meos.
• Ablative of manner: cum mœrore.
• Destination: ad inferos.

Morphology

  1. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional particle; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: opens a real future condition.
  2. tuleritis — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of protasis; Translation: “you take” / “you will have taken”; Notes: future perfect often used for future condition.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds an additional element; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connective.
  4. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of tuleritis; Translation: “this one”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.
  5. et — identical to above; connects second condition.
  6. aliquid — Lemma: aliquid; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of contigerit; Translation: “something”; Notes: unspecified misfortune.
  7. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “on”; Notes: static location on the journey.
  9. via — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “the way”; Notes: indicates travel route.
  10. contigerit — Lemma: contingo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: verb of the second protasis; Translation: “should happen”; Notes: future perfect in Latin often expresses hypothetical future events.
  11. deducetis — Lemma: deduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of apodosis; Translation: “you will bring down”; Notes: expresses grave consequence.
  12. canos — Lemma: canus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of deducetis; Translation: “gray hairs”; Notes: metonymy for “old age.”
  13. meos — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: possesses canos; Translation: “my”; Notes: refers to Jacob’s own life.
  14. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces manner; Translation: “with”; Notes: introduces emotional accompaniment.
  15. mœrore — Lemma: moeror; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “sorrow”; Notes: emphasizes grief at the thought of Benjamin’s loss.
  16. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: literal spatial movement.
  17. inferos — Lemma: inferi; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “the lower regions” / “the underworld”; Notes: idiom for the realm of the dead.

 

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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