Genesis 50:21

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:21 Nolite timere: ego pascam vos et parvulos vestros. consolatusque est eos, et blande ac leniter est locutus.

Do not be afraid; I will sustain you and your little ones.” And he consoled them, and spoke kindly and gently.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nolite do not V.2PL.PRES.ACT.IMPERATIVE
2 timere to fear V.PRES.ACT.INF
3 ego I PRON.NOM.SG
4 pascam I will sustain V.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 vos you PRON.ACC.PL
6 et and CONJ.COORD
7 parvulos little ones ADJ.MASC.ACC.PL (USED SUBSTANTIVELY)
8 vestros your ADJ.MASC.ACC.PL
9 consolatusque and having consoled PPP.NOM.SG.M + ENCLITIC -QUE
10 est he V.3SG.PRES.IND (AUX)
11 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
12 et and CONJ.COORD
13 blande kindly ADV
14 ac and CONJ.COORD
15 leniter gently ADV
16 est he V.3SG.PRES.IND (AUX)
17 locutus spoken PPP.NOM.SG.M (DEPONENT)

Syntax

Negative command: Nolite timere —
Nolite + infinitive forms a prohibition: “Do not fear.”

Main clause: ego pascam vos et parvulos vestros —
ego is emphatic subject (“I myself”).
pascam = future verb (“I will sustain/feed”).
vos and parvulos vestros = coordinated objects.

Perfect periphrastic construction: consolatusque est eos —
consolatus est = perfect of consolor (deponent), meaning “he consoled.”
-que joins it to the preceding idea.

Final clause: et blande ac leniter est locutus —
locutus est = perfect of loquor (deponent), “he spoke.”
blande ac leniter = adverbial modifiers, “kindly and gently.”

Morphology

  1. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd plural present active imperative; Function: prohibition; Translation: do not; Notes: used with infinitive of the action forbidden.
  2. timere — Lemma: timeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: completes nolite; Translation: to fear; Notes: expresses forbidden action.
  3. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: emphatic subject; Translation: I; Notes: placed first for reassurance.
  4. pascam — Lemma: pasco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will sustain; Notes: expresses Joseph’s ongoing care.
  5. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object; Translation: you; Notes: brothers addressed.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins vos with parvulos vestros; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  7. parvulos — Lemma: parvulus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of pascam; Translation: little ones; Notes: refers to dependent children.
  8. vestros — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies parvulos; Translation: your; Notes: second-person plural possession.
  9. consolatusque — Lemma: consolor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine + enclitic -que; Function: part of perfect periphrastic; Translation: and having consoled; Notes: -que joins this clause to the previous.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary verb of deponent perfect; Translation: he; Notes: completes consolatus est.
  11. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of consolatus est; Translation: them; Notes: refers to the brothers.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links second verbal idea; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  13. blande — Lemma: blandus; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: modifies locutus est; Translation: kindly; Notes: indicates tone.
  14. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins two adverbs; Translation: and; Notes: slightly stronger than et.
  15. leniter — Lemma: lenis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: modifies locutus est; Translation: gently; Notes: reinforces tone.
  16. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary in deponent perfect; Translation: he; Notes: completes locutus est.
  17. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate with est; Translation: spoken; Notes: completes perfect deponent 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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