Genesis 37:32

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:32 mittentes qui ferrent ad patrem, et dicerent: Hanc invenimus: vide utrum tunica filii tui sit, an non.

and they sent those who would carry it to their father and say: “We found this. See whether it is your son’s tunic or not.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 mittentes sending PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.PL.M
2 qui who PRON.REL.NOM.PL.M
3 ferrent might carry V.3PL.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
4 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
5 patrem father NOUN.ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 dicerent might say V.3PL.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
8 Hanc this PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.F
9 invenimus we found V.1PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 vide see V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
11 utrum whether CONJ.INTERROG
12 tunica tunic NOUN.NOM.SG.F
13 filii of (your) son NOUN.GEN.SG.M
14 tui your ADJ.POSS.GEN.SG.M
15 sit is / be V.3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
16 an or CONJ.INTERROG
17 non not ADV.NEG

Syntax

Participial phrase: mittentes qui ferrent ad patrem et dicerent — the nominative plural participle mittentes (“sending”) modifies the implied subject (the brothers). The relative clause qui ferrent… et dicerent expands the purpose: “who might carry [it] and say.” The subjunctive verbs ferrent and dicerent indicate purpose or intended result.

Direct quotation: Hanc invenimus: vide utrum tunica filii tui sit an non — the direct speech represents the message sent. vide (imperative) commands the father to inspect. The subordinate clause utrum… an non introduces an indirect yes–no question (“whether it is your son’s tunic or not”).

Morphology

  1. mittentes — Lemma: mittō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active; Function: circumstantial participle modifying the brothers; Translation: “sending”; Notes: Introduces the main action describing the delegation of messengers.
  2. qui — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of both ferrent and dicerent; Translation: “who”; Notes: Links the relative clause of purpose to mittentes.
  3. ferrent — Lemma: ferō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose in the relative clause; Translation: “might carry / bring”; Notes: Subjunctive indicates intention or purpose in the sending action.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces direction toward recipient; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Marks destination of the message—Jacob (the father).
  5. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, recipient of the tunic and message.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins ferrent and dicerent in purpose clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links parallel subjunctive verbs indicating dual mission.
  7. dicerent — Lemma: dīcō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose with ferrent; Translation: “might say”; Notes: Expresses intended communication of the message to Jacob.
  8. Hanc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of invenimus; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the tunic as physical evidence.
  9. invenimus — Lemma: inveniō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person plural perfect indicative active; Function: verb of direct speech; Translation: “we found”; Notes: Perfect tense states completed discovery, part of the deception.
  10. vide — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present imperative active; Function: direct command; Translation: “see / look”; Notes: Imperative of inspection directed to Jacob for verification.
  11. utrum — Lemma: utrum; Part of Speech: interrogative conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “whether”; Notes: Begins a yes–no interrogative construction paired with an.
  12. tunica — Lemma: tunica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of sit; Translation: “tunic”; Notes: The subject of inquiry—whether it belongs to Joseph.
  13. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying tunica; Translation: “of (your) son”; Notes: Specifies the identity under question.
  14. tui — Lemma: tuus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies filii; Translation: “your”; Notes: Direct address to Jacob, reinforcing the emotional impact.
  15. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “is / be”; Notes: Subjunctive used in indirect yes–no question under vide utrum.
  16. an — Lemma: an; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the alternative in indirect question; Translation: “or”; Notes: Pairs with utrum for binary interrogative contrast.
  17. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates second part of utrum… an construction; Translation: “not”; Notes: Completes the interrogative clause: “whether it is… or not.”

 

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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