Genesis 50:4

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:4 Et expleto planctus tempore, locutus est Ioseph ad familiam Pharaonis: Si inveni gratiam in conspectu vestro, loquimini in auribus Pharaonis:

And when the time of mourning was completed, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharao: “If I have found favor in your sight, speak in the ears of Pharao;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ.COORD
2 expleto completed PPP.ABL.SG.M/N
3 planctus mourning N.MASC.GEN.SG
4 tempore time N.NEUT.ABL.SG
5 locutus having spoken PPP.NOM.SG.M (DEP)
6 est spoke V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 Ioseph Joseph PN.NOM.SG
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 familiam household N.FEM.ACC.SG
10 Pharaonis of Pharaoh PN.GEN.SG
11 Si if CONJ.SUBORD
12 inveni I have found V.1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 gratiam favor N.FEM.ACC.SG
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 conspectu sight N.MASC.ABL.SG
16 vestro your ADJ.ABL.SG.M
17 loquimini speak V.2PL.PRES.IMP.DEP
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 auribus ears N.FEM.ABL.PL
20 Pharaonis of Pharaoh PN.GEN.SG

Syntax

Ablative absolute: expleto planctus tempore —
expleto modifies tempore, forming “when the time of mourning was completed.”
planctus (genitive) specifies the type of time (“of mourning”).

Main clause: locutus est Ioseph ad familiam Pharaonis —
locutus est is a deponent perfect (“Joseph spoke”).
ad familiam Pharaonis gives the addressees: the royal household.

Conditional clause: Si inveni gratiam in conspectu vestro —
Formula of petition: “If I have found favor in your sight.”

Main request: loquimini in auribus Pharaonis —
loquimini is a deponent imperative (“speak”).
in auribus (“in the ears”) is a Semitizing idiom meaning “before” or “to.”

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: narrative connector; Translation: and; Notes: introduces new episode.
  2. expleto — Lemma: expleo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: completed; Notes: describes temporal circumstance.
  3. planctus — Lemma: planctus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of mourning; Notes: ritual lamentation.
  4. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: time; Notes: temporal marker.
  5. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of finite verb; Translation: having spoken; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary; Translation: spoke; Notes: required for deponent perfect.
  7. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: Joseph; Notes: indeclinable Hebrew name.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: introduces addressees.
  9. familiam — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of ad; Translation: household; Notes: royal court administration.
  10. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of Pharaoh; Notes: Egyptian king.
  11. Si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: conditional marker; Translation: if; Notes: rhetorical politeness.
  12. inveni — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of condition; Translation: I have found; Notes: formula of humility.
  13. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of inveni; Translation: favor; Notes: courtly terminology.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: in; Notes: part of idiom “in conspectu.”
  15. conspectu — Lemma: conspectus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: sight; Notes: idiom: “in your sight.”
  16. vestro — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies conspectu; Translation: your; Notes: plural, addressing officials.
  17. loquimini — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd plural present imperative; Function: direct command; Translation: speak; Notes: polite request to intercede with Pharaoh.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: idiomatic phrase; Translation: in; Notes: part of Semitic idiom.
  19. auribus — Lemma: auris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: ears; Notes: “in the ears of” = “before.”
  20. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of Pharaoh; Notes: specifies the recipient of the message.

 

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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