Genesis 37:18

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:18 Qui cum vidissent eum procul, antequam accederet ad eos, cogitaverunt illum occidere:

And when they saw him from afar, before he came near to them, they planned to kill him;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
2 cum when CONJ.SUBORD
3 vidissent had seen V.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
4 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
5 procul from afar ADV
6 antequam before CONJ.SUBORD
7 accederet he approached V.3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
8 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
9 eos them PRON.PERS.ACC.PL.M
10 cogitaverunt they planned V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
11 illum him PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.M
12 occidere to kill V.INF.PRES.ACT

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of the subordinate clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s brothers; introduces the relative clause explaining their reaction.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal-circumstantial clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive vidissent due to narrative subordination (cum circumstantiale).
  3. vidissent — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the cum-clause; Translation: “they had seen”; Notes: Subjunctive following cum; expresses completed perception prior to the main event.
  4. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of vidissent; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, object of their observation.
  5. procul — Lemma: procul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies vidissent; Translation: “from afar”; Notes: Expresses spatial distance of perception.
  6. antequam — Lemma: antequam; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause of anticipation; Translation: “before”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive accederet indicating potential action not yet realized.
  7. accederet — Lemma: accēdō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the subordinate clause introduced by antequam; Translation: “he came near / approached”; Notes: Subjunctive used because the event was anticipated or unrealized at that time.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Introduces goal or target of movement (eos).
  9. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s brothers; goal of his approach.
  10. cogitaverunt — Lemma: cōgitō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the principal clause; Translation: “they planned / thought”; Notes: Perfect aspect indicates a completed decision; highlights deliberate intent.
  11. illum — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of the infinitive occidere; Translation: “him”; Notes: Demonstrative used for emphasis, underscoring their hostile focus on Joseph.
  12. occidere — Lemma: occīdō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive with cogitaverunt; Translation: “to kill”; Notes: Infinitive of purpose following a verb of mental action; expresses the content of their intent—premeditated murder.

 

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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