Genesis 50:24

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:24 Cumque adiurasset eos atque dixisset: Deus visitabit vos: asportate ossa mea vobiscum de loco isto:

And when he had made them swear and had said: “God will visit you; carry my bones with you from this place”;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ+ENCL
2 adiurasset he had made swear 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
3 eos them PRON.M.ACC.PL
4 atque and CONJ
5 dixisset he had said 3SG.PLUP.ACT.SUBJ
6 Deus God N.M.NOM.SG
7 visitabit will visit 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 vos you PRON.ACC.PL
9 asportate carry 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
10 ossa bones N.N.ACC.PL
11 mea my ADJ.N.ACC.PL
12 vobiscum with you PREP+PRON.ABL.PL
13 de from PREP+ABL
14 loco place N.M.ABL.SG
15 isto this ADJ.M.ABL.SG

Syntax

Subordinate temporal clause: Cumque adiurasset eos atque dixisset forms a temporal clause in the pluperfect subjunctive,
“and when he had made them swear and had said,” with the (understood) subject “he” and two coordinated verbs
adiurasset and dixisset, plus the direct object eos.

First main clause (prophetic assurance): Deus is the subject, visitabit the future main verb,
and vos the direct object, yielding “God will visit you.”

Second main clause (imperative command): The verb is the plural imperative asportate, whose direct object is
ossa mea (“my bones”). The phrase vobiscum functions as a comitative complement (“with you”),
and the prepositional phrase de loco isto expresses the source (“from this place”), completing the command.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction with enclitic; Form: indeclinable compound; Function: introduces a temporal clause linked to the main narrative; Translation: and when; Notes: combines temporal cum “when” with enclitic -que “and,” tying this clause to the preceding context.
  2. adiurasset — Lemma: adiuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: first finite verb of the temporal clause, taking eos as its object; Translation: he had made (them) swear; Notes: pluperfect subjunctive matches cumque in a past-time circumstantial clause, presenting the oath-taking as prior to the main statements.
  3. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal/demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of adiurasset; Translation: them; Notes: refers to his brothers or descendants being bound under oath.
  4. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links adiurasset and dixisset within the same temporal frame; Translation: and; Notes: slightly stronger connective than et, often used in elevated or solemn style.
  5. dixisset — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: second finite verb in the temporal clause; Translation: he had said; Notes: together with adiurasset describes completed speech and oath before the quoted prophecy.
  6. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of visitabit; Translation: God; Notes: the divine subject who will intervene, echoing covenant-visitation language in biblical style.
  7. visitabit — Lemma: visito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of the first prophetic main clause; Translation: will visit; Notes: future tense expresses assured, forthcoming divine action for the people’s benefit.
  8. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object of visitabit; Translation: you; Notes: addresses the group bound by Joseph’s oath, typically his brothers and their descendants.
  9. asportate — Lemma: asporto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person plural present active imperative; Function: direct command to the hearers; Translation: carry; Notes: imperative mood expresses Joseph’s binding instruction about the future removal of his bones.
  10. ossa — Lemma: os; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of asportate; Translation: bones; Notes: neuter plural form referring collectively to his remains, central to the oath requirement.
  11. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: modifies ossa; Translation: my; Notes: agrees with ossa in case, number, and gender, specifying that the bones are his own.
  12. vobiscum — Lemma: cum + vos; Part of Speech: preposition with pronoun; Form: ablative plural pronoun fused with preposition; Function: comitative phrase with asportate; Translation: with you; Notes: idiomatic contracted form for “cum vobis,” emphasizing that his bones must accompany them when they depart.
  13. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces a prepositional phrase of source; Translation: from; Notes: marks the place from which the bones are to be taken.
  14. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: place; Notes: designates Joseph’s current location, contextually the land of Egypt.
  15. isto — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies loco; Translation: this; Notes: deictic demonstrative, contrasting “this place” of present sojourn with the future promised land to which they will go.

 

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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