Genesis 47:17

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:17 Quæ cum adduxissent, dedit eis alimenta pro equis, et ovibus, et bobus, et asinis: sustentavitque eos illo anno pro commutatione pecorum.

Which when they had brought, he gave to them food for the horses, and for the sheep, and for the oxen, and for the donkeys, and he sustained them that year for the exchange of the cattle.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quæ which NOM.PL.N REL
2 cum when CONJ
3 adduxissent they had brought 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 dedit he gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 eis to them DAT.PL
6 alimenta food ACC.PL.N
7 pro for PREP+ABL
8 equis horses ABL.PL.M
9 et and CONJ
10 ovibus sheep ABL.PL.F
11 et and CONJ
12 bobus oxen ABL.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 asinis donkeys ABL.PL.M
15 sustentavitque and he sustained 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
16 eos them ACC.PL.M
17 illo that ABL.SG.M.ADJ
18 anno year ABL.SG.M
19 pro for PREP+ABL
20 commutatione exchange ABL.SG.F
21 pecorum of the cattle GEN.PL.N

Syntax

Relative Clause of Circumstance: Quæ cum adduxissent — “which when they had brought,” using pluperfect subjunctive after cum.
Main Clause: dedit eis alimenta — Joseph provides sustenance.
Exchange Construction: pro equis, et ovibus, et bobus, et asinis — specifies what the food was exchanged for.
Second Main Verb: sustentavitque eos — “and he sustained them,” with enclitic -que linking it to dedit.
Ablative of Time: illo anno — “in that year.”
Ablative of Exchange: pro commutatione pecorum — “for the exchange of the cattle.”

Morphology

  1. Quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of adduxissent; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the livestock previously mentioned.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Often takes subjunctive in narrative.
  3. adduxissent — Lemma: adduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive third plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they had brought”; Notes: Action prior to main verb.
  4. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he gave”; Notes: Completed action of provision.
  5. eis — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to them”; Notes: Recipients of food.
  6. alimenta — Lemma: alimentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of dedit; Translation: “food”; Notes: Sustenance given by Joseph.
  7. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Commercial usage.
  8. equis — Lemma: equus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative with pro; Translation: “horses”; Notes: Part of exchanged livestock.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links coordinated nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective.
  10. ovibus — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: governed by pro; Translation: “sheep”; Notes: Livestock exchanged for food.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues listing.
  12. bobus — Lemma: bos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: governed by pro; Translation: “oxen”; Notes: Cattle species included in exchange.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects final item; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds last livestock type.
  14. asinis — Lemma: asinus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: governed by pro; Translation: “donkeys”; Notes: Important beasts of burden.
  15. sustentavitque — Lemma: sustento + que; Part of Speech: verb with enclitic; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: second main verb; Translation: “and he sustained”; Notes: -que connects with dedit.
  16. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the Egyptians.
  17. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies anno; Translation: “that”; Notes: Points to the specific famine year.
  18. anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “year”; Notes: Marks time during famine.
  19. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses exchange; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces barter phrase.
  20. commutatione — Lemma: commutatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “exchange”; Notes: Explicitly describes barter trade.
  21. pecorum — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: genitive of the thing exchanged; Translation: “of the cattle”; Notes: Refers collectively to all livestock species listed.

 

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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