Genesis 47:27

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:27 Habitavit ergo Israel in Ægypto, idest, in Terra Gessen, et possedit eam: auctusque est, et multiplicatus nimis.

Israel dwelt therefore in Egypt, that is, in the Land of Gessen, and he possessed it; and he grew, and was multiplied exceedingly.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Habitavit dwelt 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Israel Israel NOM.SG.M
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 Ægypto Egypt ABL.SG.F
6 idest that is ADV/EXPL
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 Terra the land ABL.SG.F
9 Gessen Goshen ABL.SG.F.PROP
10 et and CONJ
11 possedit possessed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 eam it ACC.SG.F.PRON
13 auctusque and he grew NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS + ENCLITIC -QUE
14 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 et and CONJ
16 multiplicatus multiplied NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
17 nimis exceedingly ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: Habitavit ergo Israel in Ægypto — “Israel dwelt therefore in Egypt.”
• Israel = subject
• Habitavit = verb
• in Ægypto = locative phrase

Explanatory Apposition: idest, in Terra Gessen — “that is, in the land of Goshen.”

Coordinated Clause: et possedit eam — “and he possessed it.”
• possedit = verb
• eam = direct object

Result Clauses:
• auctusque est — “and he grew.”
• et multiplicatus nimis — “and was multiplied exceedingly.”

Morphology

  1. Habitavit — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “dwelt”; Notes: Narrative perfect.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Function: logical connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Draws conclusion.
  3. Israel — Lemma: Israel; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Israel”; Notes: Jacob as patriarch.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Locative sense.
  5. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: Geographic location.
  6. idest — Lemma: id est; Part of Speech: adverb/explanatory phrase; Function: clarification; Translation: “that is”; Notes: Latin abbreviation.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces specific region.
  8. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Region name.
  9. Gessen — Lemma: Gessen; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: appositional modifier of Terra; Translation: “Goshen”; Notes: Specific Egyptian district.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordination.
  11. possedit — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “possessed”; Notes: Ownership or control.
  12. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the land.
  13. auctusque — Lemma: augeo; Part of Speech: participle + enclitic; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle with -que; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “and he grew”; Notes: Indicates increase.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms perfect passive periphrastic.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordination.
  16. multiplicatus — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “multiplied”; Notes: Denotes increase in population.
  17. nimis — Lemma: nimis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifier; Translation: “exceedingly”; Notes: Expresses great magnitude.

 

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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