Genesis 37:12

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:12 Cumque fratres illius in pascendis gregibus patris morarentur in Sichem,

And while his brothers were staying in Sichem, tending the flocks of their father,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ.SUBORD + ENCLITIC
2 fratres brothers NOUN.NOM.PL.M
3 illius of him PRON.DEM.GEN.SG.M
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 pascendis feeding GERUNDIVE.ABL.PL.N
6 gregibus flocks NOUN.ABL.PL.M
7 patris of father NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 morarentur they were staying V.3PL.IMPF.SUBJ.DEP
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 Sichem Shechem PN.LOC.ABL

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Cumque fratres illius in pascendis gregibus patris morarentur in Sichem —
A temporal clause introduced by Cumque (“and when”), connecting this event with the previous narrative. The subject is fratres illius (“his brothers”), and the verb morarentur (imperfect subjunctive) indicates ongoing or simultaneous action. The gerundive phrase in pascendis gregibus patris expresses purpose or circumstance — “in tending the flocks of their father.” The prepositional phrase in Sichem specifies the location of the action.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction (+ enclitic conjunction); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause and links it to the prior narrative; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The enclitic -que coordinates with the previous clause; with cum it regularly licenses the subjunctive (morarentur) in past narrative.
  2. fratres — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of morarentur; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s siblings collectively; masculine plural by natural gender.
  3. illius — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying fratres; Translation: “his”; Notes: Points to Joseph as an external possessor; not the reflexive suus since the possessor is not the clause’s subject.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces a prepositional phrase of circumstance; Translation: “in”; Notes: With the ablative it marks sphere or location (“in the activity of…”) rather than motion.
  5. pascendis — Lemma: pascō; Part of Speech: gerundive (verbal adjective); Form: ablative plural masculine (agreeing with gregibus); Function: modifies gregibus in the prepositional phrase; Translation: “(in) feeding/tending”; Notes: Gerundive of purpose/associated activity: in pascendis gregibus ≈ “in (the business of) tending the flocks.”
  6. gregibus — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: complement of in pascendis; Translation: “flocks”; Notes: Typical pastoral term (sheep/goats); ablative with in marks the domain of activity.
  7. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying gregibus; Translation: “of (their) father”; Notes: Identifies ownership of the flocks (Jacob’s); simple possessive use of the genitive.
  8. morarentur — Lemma: moror; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive (deponent); Function: finite verb of the cum-clause; Translation: “were staying / were lingering”; Notes: Deponent: passive form, active meaning. Subjunctive required by the temporal-circumstantial cum; imperfect conveys durative background action.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces a locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Second occurrence; with place names it marks static location.
  10. Sichem — Lemma: Sichem; Part of Speech: proper noun (place); Form: ablative singular (indeclinable form used with in); Function: object of the preposition in; Translation: “Shechem”; Notes: City in the land of Kenaʿan; the Vulgate often treats the form as indeclinable; here ablative with in denotes the locative setting.

 

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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