Genesis 50:18

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:18 Veneruntque ad eum fratres sui: et proni adorantes in terram dixerunt: Servi tui sumus.

And his brothers came to him; and bowing down to the ground in prostration, they said: “We are your servants.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Veneruntque and they came V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
4 fratres brothers N.MASC.NOM.PL
5 sui his PRON.GEN.PL (REFLEXIVE)
6 et and CONJ.COORD
7 proni bowed down ADJ.NOM.PL.M
8 adorantes worshipping / bowing in homage PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
9 in on PREP+ACC
10 terram the ground N.FEM.ACC.SG
11 dixerunt they said V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 Servi servants N.MASC.NOM.PL
13 tui your PRON.GEN.SG
14 sumus we are V.1PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main clause: Veneruntque ad eum fratres sui —
Venerunt is the main perfect verb (“they came”).
ad eum = goal of motion.
fratres sui = subject (“his brothers”).

Participial description: proni adorantes in terram —
A circumstantial participial phrase describing manner: “bowed down, worshipping toward the ground.”
proni modifies fratres.
adorantes further intensifies reverence.

Second main verb: dixerunt introduces direct speech.
Inside the quotation:
Servi tui = subject + possessive;
sumus = verb (“we are”).

Morphology

  1. Veneruntque — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and they came; Notes: -que joins this clause to the previous one.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: to; Notes: standard directional preposition.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  4. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: brothers; Notes: Joseph’s brothers.
  5. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive plural; Function: possessive; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to Joseph.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: links participial phrase.
  7. proni — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate modifier; Translation: bowed down; Notes: describes posture.
  8. adorantes — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative plural masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: worshipping / bowing; Notes: intensifies reverential act.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: on / toward; Notes: physical orientation.
  10. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: the ground; Notes: literal earth.
  11. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: they said; Notes: narrative verb.
  12. Servi — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of sumus; Translation: servants; Notes: brothers’ self-abasement.
  13. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies servi; Translation: your; Notes: addressed to Joseph.
  14. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st plural present active indicative; Function: copular verb; Translation: we are; Notes: completes direct speech.

 

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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