Genesis 48:11

Posted on February 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 48:11 dixit ad filium suum: Non sum fraudatus aspectu tuo: insuper ostendit mihi Deus semen tuum.

he said to his son: “I have not been deprived of seeing you; moreover God has shown to me your offspring.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 filium son ACC.SG.M
4 suum his ACC.SG.M.POSS
5 Non not ADV
6 sum I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 fraudatus deprived NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.PASS
8 aspectu by the sight ABL.SG.M
9 tuo your ABL.SG.M.POSS
10 insuper moreover ADV
11 ostendit has shown 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
13 Deus God NOM.SG.M
14 semen offspring ACC.SG.N
15 tuum your ACC.SG.N.POSS

Syntax

Main clause:
dixit ad filium suum — “he said to his son”;
• dixit = main verb
• ad filium suum = indirect object construction

Statement of relief:
Non sum fraudatus aspectu tuo
• Passive periphrastic: “I have not been deprived”
• aspectu tuo = ablative of separation (“of seeing you”)

Additional divine blessing:
insuper ostendit mihi Deus semen tuum
• insuper = “moreover”
• Subject: Deus
• Verb: ostendit
• Indirect object: mihi
• Direct object: semen tuum (“your offspring”)

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed utterance.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction toward recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Standard in speech formulas.
  3. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Joseph.
  4. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies filium; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to subject.
  5. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates main verb phrase.
  6. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative first singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Forms perfect passive periphrastic with participle.
  7. fraudatus — Lemma: fraudo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: predicate; Translation: “deprived”; Notes: Indicates loss of privilege.
  8. aspectu — Lemma: aspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of separation; Translation: “by the sight”; Notes: Expresses that he has not lost the privilege of seeing Joseph.
  9. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies aspectu; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Joseph.
  10. insuper — Lemma: insuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “moreover”; Notes: Strengthens the blessing statement.
  11. ostendit — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “has shown”; Notes: Divine revelation.
  12. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Recipient of divine showing.
  13. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Source of the blessing.
  14. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Technical biblical term for progeny.
  15. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies semen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s children.

 

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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