Genesis 50:6

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:6 Dixitque ei Pharao: Ascende et sepeli patrem tuum sicut adiuratus es.

And Pharao said to him: “Go up and bury your father, as you were made to swear.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
3 Pharao Pharaoh PN.NOM.SG
4 Ascende go up V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 et and CONJ.COORD
6 sepeli bury V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP (CONTRACTED)
7 patrem father N.MASC.ACC.SG
8 tuum your ADJ.ACC.SG.M
9 sicut as CONJ.SUBORD
10 adiuratus being sworn PPP.NOM.SG.M
11 es you were V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause: Dixitque ei Pharao —
Dixitque is the perfect main verb with enclitic -que.
Pharao is the subject.
ei is the indirect object (“to him,” i.e., Joseph).

Imperatives: Ascende et sepeli —
Two coordinated commands: “Go up and bury.”
sepeli is the contracted imperative of sepelio.

Object phrase: patrem tuum —
Direct object of sepeli.

Comparative clause: sicut adiuratus es —
sicut introduces “as / according as.”
adiuratus es = perfect passive (“you were sworn / you were made to swear”).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and said; Notes: connects Pharaoh’s speech to previous narrative.
  2. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  3. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: Pharaoh; Notes: Egyptian king.
  4. Ascende — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: go up; Notes: ascent to Chanaan.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: links two imperatives.
  6. sepeli — Lemma: sepelio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: bury; Notes: contracted form of the imperative.
  7. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: father; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  8. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: your; Notes: directly addresses Joseph.
  9. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces comparative clause; Translation: as; Notes: links the command to the prior oath.
  10. adiuratus — Lemma: adiuro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective with es; Translation: having been sworn / made to swear; Notes: solemn oath in prior narrative.
  11. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: you were; Notes: perfect passive construction.

 

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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