Genesis 50:2

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:2 Præcepitque servis suis medicis ut aromatibus condirent patrem.

And he commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father with spices.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Præcepitque and he commanded V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 servis to the servants N.MASC.DAT.PL
3 suis his ADJ.DAT.PL.M (REFL)
4 medicis physicians N.MASC.DAT.PL
5 ut that CONJ.SUBORD
6 aromatibus with spices N.NEUT.ABL.PL
7 condirent they might embalm V.3PL.IMP.SUBJ.ACT
8 patrem father N.MASC.ACC.SG

Syntax

Main clause: Præcepitque servis suis medicis —
Præcepitque is the perfect main verb (“and he commanded”).
servis suis medicis is the indirect object, with suis modifying servis and medicis in apposition (“his servants, the physicians”).

Final clause: ut aromatibus condirent patrem —
ut introduces a purpose clause.
aromatibus is an ablative of means.
condirent (imperfect subjunctive) expresses intended action.
patrem is the direct object (“his father”).

Morphology

  1. Præcepitque — Lemma: praecipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he commanded; Notes: -que links this action to the prior narrative unit.
  2. servis — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the servants; Notes: recipients of the command.
  3. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies servis; Translation: his; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  4. medicis — Lemma: medicus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: in apposition to servis; Translation: physicians; Notes: Egyptian court physicians.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: that; Notes: triggers subjunctive verb.
  6. aromatibus — Lemma: aromata; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with spices; Notes: part of embalming process.
  7. condirent — Lemma: condio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: they might embalm; Notes: “to treat with spices,” technical term for embalming.
  8. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of condirent; Translation: father; Notes: refers to Jacob.

 

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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