Genesis 49:3

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:3 Ruben primogenitus meus, tu fortitudo mea, et principium doloris mei: prior in donis, maior in imperio.

Ruben, my firstborn, you are my strength and the beginning of my sorrow: first in gifts, greater in authority.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ruben Reuben PN.VOC.SG.M
2 primogenitus firstborn ADJ.NOM.SG.M
3 meus my POSS.ADJ.NOM.SG.M
4 tu you PRON.NOM.SG.2
5 fortitudo strength N.FEM.NOM.SG
6 mea my POSS.ADJ.FEM.NOM.SG
7 et and CONJ.COORD
8 principium beginning N.NEUT.NOM.SG
9 doloris of sorrow N.MASC.GEN.SG
10 mei my POSS.ADJ.MASC.GEN.SG
11 prior first ADJ.NOM.SG.M.COMP
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 donis gifts N.NEUT.ABL.PL
14 maior greater ADJ.NOM.SG.M.COMP
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 imperio authority N.NEUT.ABL.SG

Syntax

Direct address: Ruben is vocative, with Jacob speaking directly to his firstborn son.

Appositional statements: primogenitus meus, tu fortitudo mea, and principium doloris mei function as a series of nominative predicates describing Reuben’s status and significance.

Comparative assertions: prior in donis and maior in imperio are comparative phrases describing expected preeminence in both blessings (“gifts”) and authority (“rule”).

Morphology

  1. Ruben — Lemma: Ruben; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: Reuben; Notes: form identical to nominative.
  2. primogenitus — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate describing Ruben; Translation: firstborn; Notes: indicates legal and spiritual status.
  3. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies primogenitus; Translation: my; Notes: expresses Jacob’s paternal voice.
  4. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of implied verb “es”; Translation: you; Notes: introduction to second predicate.
  5. fortitudo — Lemma: fortitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: strength; Notes: refers to the father’s vigor and first offspring.
  6. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies fortitudo; Translation: my; Notes: gender agrees with fortitudo.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins predicates; Translation: and; Notes: additive connector.
  8. principium — Lemma: principium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: beginning; Notes: figurative reference to Jacob’s earliest trials.
  9. doloris — Lemma: dolor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of sorrow; Notes: indicates emotional or physical hardship.
  10. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies doloris; Translation: my; Notes: expresses Jacob’s personal experience.
  11. prior — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: comparative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate describing Ruben; Translation: first; Notes: comparative of prae, indicating precedence.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces comparative sphere; Translation: in; Notes: idiomatically “in respect to.”
  13. donis — Lemma: donum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: complement of in; Translation: gifts; Notes: spiritual or material blessings.
  14. maior — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: comparative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate; Translation: greater; Notes: expected leadership role.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces area of comparison; Translation: in; Notes: standard construction.
  16. imperio — Lemma: imperium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: complement of in; Translation: authority; Notes: refers to rule, leadership, command.

 

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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