Genesis 50:16

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:16 mandaverunt ei dicentes: Pater tuus præcepit nobis antequam moreretur,

they sent to him, saying: “Your father commanded us before he died,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 mandaverunt they sent / they commanded V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
3 dicentes saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
4 Pater father N.MASC.NOM.SG
5 tuus your ADJ.NOM.SG.M
6 præcepit commanded V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 nobis to us PRON.DAT.PL
8 antequam before CONJ.SUBORD
9 moreretur he died V.3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ (DEPONENT)

Syntax

Main clause: mandaverunt ei dicentes —
mandaverunt is the main perfect verb (“they sent / they instructed”).
ei is the indirect object (“to him,” Joseph).
dicentes is a circumstantial participle introducing direct speech.

Direct speech: Pater tuus præcepit nobis —
Pater tuus is the subject.
præcepit is the perfect verb (“commanded”).
nobis = indirect object (“to us”).

Subordinate temporal clause: antequam moreretur —
antequam introduces a temporal clause;
moreretur is imperfect subjunctive (expected after antequam), “before he died.”
Refers to Jacob.

Morphology

  1. mandaverunt — Lemma: mando; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: they sent / they commanded; Notes: sometimes means “to commission” or “send a message.”
  2. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  3. dicentes — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: saying; Notes: modifies implied subject (the brothers).
  4. Pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præcepit; Translation: father; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  5. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies pater; Translation: your; Notes: addressed to Joseph.
  6. præcepit — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of direct speech; Translation: commanded; Notes: conveys Jacob’s instructions.
  7. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: to us; Notes: Joseph’s brothers.
  8. antequam — Lemma: antequam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: before; Notes: regularly takes the subjunctive.
  9. moreretur — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: 3rd singular imperfect subjunctive; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: he died; Notes: deponent verb with passive form and active meaning.

 

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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