Genesis 37:2

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:2 Et hæ sunt generationes eius: Ioseph cum sedecim esset annorum, pascebat gregem cum fratribus suis adhuc puer: et erat cum filiis Balæ et Zelphæ uxorum patris sui: accusavitque fratres suos apud patrem crimine pessimo.

And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers, being still a boy; and he was with the sons of Bala and Zelpha, the wives of his father; and he accused his brothers before his father with a very evil report.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 hæ these PRON.DEM.NOM.PL.F
3 sunt are V.3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
4 generationes generations NOUN.NOM.PL.F
5 eius of him PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
6 Ioseph Joseph PROP.NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 cum when CONJ.TEMPORAL
8 sedecim sixteen NUM.CARD.INDECL
9 esset was V.3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
10 annorum of years NOUN.GEN.PL.M
11 pascebat was feeding V.3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
12 gregem flock NOUN.ACC.SG.M
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 fratribus brothers NOUN.ABL.PL.M
15 suis his own PRON.POSS.ABL.PL.M
16 adhuc still ADV
17 puer boy NOUN.NOM.SG.M
18 et and CONJ
19 erat was V.3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
20 cum with PREP+ABL
21 filiis sons NOUN.ABL.PL.M
22 Balæ Bilhah PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
23 et and CONJ
24 Zelphæ Zilpah PROP.NOUN.GEN.SG.F
25 uxorum of wives NOUN.GEN.PL.F
26 patris of father NOUN.GEN.SG.M
27 sui his own PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
28 accusavitque and accused V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
29 fratres brothers NOUN.ACC.PL.M
30 suos his own PRON.POSS.ACC.PL.M
31 apud before PREP+ACC
32 patrem father NOUN.ACC.SG.M
33 crimine with accusation NOUN.ABL.SG.N
34 pessimo very evil ADJ.ABL.SG.N.SUPERL

Syntax

Main Clause: Et hæ sunt generationes eius —
The demonstrative hæ serves as subject, sunt as the copula, and generationes eius as predicate nominative meaning “these are his generations.”

Subordinate Temporal Clause: Ioseph cum sedecim esset annorum —
The conjunction cum with subjunctive esset marks a temporal condition (“when he was sixteen years old”). Annorum is a genitive of measure, expressing age.

Subsequent Main Clauses:
1. pascebat gregem cum fratribus suis adhuc puer — Main action with participial nuance “still being a boy.”
2. erat cum filiis Balæ et Zelphæ uxorum patris sui — Stative clause denoting companionship.
3. accusavitque fratres suos apud patrem crimine pessimo — Perfective action emphasizing Joseph’s denunciation.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: clause connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Opens a new narrative unit linking to the prior context.
  2. hæ — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “these”; Notes: Points forward to the genealogical section.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links subject and predicate nominative.
  4. generationes — Lemma: generātiō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “generations”; Notes: Head term of a toledot formula.
  5. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: possessive/genitive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies generationes; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers back to Jacob.
  6. Ioseph — Lemma: Iōseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: subject of following verbs; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Introduces the focus of the narrative.
  7. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive esset.
  8. sedecim — Lemma: sedecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numeric modifier of age; Translation: “sixteen”; Notes: Works with genitive of measure.
  9. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive with circumstantial cum.
  10. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure/age; Translation: “of years”; Notes: Latin idiom for age expression.
  11. pascebat — Lemma: pascō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “was feeding”; Notes: Imperfective—ongoing activity.
  12. gregem — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “flock”; Notes: Pastoral context.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces companions.
  14. fratribus — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Associates Joseph with siblings.
  15. suis — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive to Joseph.
  16. adhuc — Lemma: adhūc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifier; Translation: “still”; Notes: Highlights youth at the time.
  17. puer — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicative/appositive with Joseph; Translation: “boy”; Notes: Conveys immaturity.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds a further circumstance.
  19. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Stative backgrounding verb.
  20. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces company.
  21. filiis — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Identifies the group present.
  22. Balæ — Lemma: Bala; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of Bala”; Notes: Possessor of the “sons.”
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links genitives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Couples Bala with Zelpha.
  24. Zelphæ — Lemma: Zelpha; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of Zelpha”; Notes: Second possessor.
  25. uxorum — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: genitive dependent on filiis; Translation: “(the) wives (of)”; Notes: Appositional genitive clarifying status.
  26. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessor of the wives; Translation: “of (his) father”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  27. sui — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective/pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflexive to Joseph; emphasizes kinship.
  28. accusavitque — Lemma: accūsō + -que; Part of Speech: verb (+ enclitic); Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he accused”; Notes: -que links to prior clause; perfective, decisive action.
  29. fratres — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Target of the charge.
  30. suos — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratres; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Underscores intra-family conflict.
  31. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: relation/location “before”; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Takes personal object.
  32. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of apud; Translation: “father”; Notes: Jacob as recipient of the report.
  33. crimine — Lemma: crīmen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of manner/instrument; Translation: “with (an) accusation”; Notes: Specifies the nature of the report.
  34. pessimo — Lemma: malus; Part of Speech: adjective (superlative); Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: agrees with crimine; Translation: “most evil / very evil”; Notes: Intensifies the moral quality of the accusation.

 

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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