Genesis 47:16

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:16 Quibus ille respondit: Adducite pecora vestra, et dabo vobis pro eis cibos, si pretium non habetis.

To whom he said in answer: “Bring your cattle, and I will give to you food for them, if you have no money.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus to whom DAT/ABL.PL.M/F/N REL
2 ille he NOM.SG.M DEM
3 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Adducite bring 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 pecora cattle ACC.PL.N
6 vestra your ACC.PL.N.ADJ
7 et and CONJ
8 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 vobis to you DAT.PL
10 pro for / in exchange for PREP+ABL
11 eis them ABL.PL.N
12 cibos foods ACC.PL.M
13 si if CONJ
14 pretium price / money ACC.SG.N
15 non not ADV
16 habetis you have 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: Quibus ille respondit — “to whom he answered,” linking back to the Egyptians requesting food.
Direct Speech Introduced: Adducite… — imperative addressed to the people.
Main Command: Adducite pecora vestra — “Bring your cattle.”
Futurum with Indirect Benefit: dabo vobis cibos — “I will give to you food.”
Exchange Phrase: pro eis — “in exchange for them,” the cattle.
Conditional Clause: si pretium non habetis — “if you have no money.”

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative/ablative plural; Function: indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptian petitioners.
  2. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Joseph.
  3. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Completed verbal response.
  4. Adducite — Lemma: adduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperative present active second plural; Function: command; Translation: “bring”; Notes: Direct instruction.
  5. pecora — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of Adducite; Translation: “cattle”; Notes: Refers to livestock offered in exchange.
  6. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies pecora; Translation: “your”; Notes: Possession of the livestock.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects imperatives.
  8. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Promise of provision.
  9. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipients of food.
  10. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates exchange; Translation: “for / in exchange for”; Notes: Commercial/barter context.
  11. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of pro; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the cattle.
  12. cibos — Lemma: cibus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of dabo; Translation: “food(s)”; Notes: Rations supplied by Joseph.
  13. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: introduces condition; Translation: “if”; Notes: Sets requirement for barter.
  14. pretium — Lemma: pretium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of habetis; Translation: “money / price”; Notes: Monetary payment lacking.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates possession.
  16. habetis — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative second plural; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: “you have”; Notes: Denotes condition of poverty.

 

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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