Genesis 37:33

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 37:33 Quam cum agnovisset pater, ait: Tunica filii mei est, fera pessima comedit eum, bestia devoravit Ioseph.

And when the father recognized it, he said: “It is my son’s tunic! A savage beast has eaten him; a wild animal has devoured Joseph.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quam which PRON.REL.ACC.SG.F
2 cum when CONJ.SUBORD
3 agnovisset had recognized V.3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 pater father NOUN.NOM.SG.M
5 ait said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Tunica tunic NOUN.NOM.SG.F
7 filii of (my) son NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 mei my ADJ.POSS.GEN.SG.M
9 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
10 fera wild beast NOUN.NOM.SG.F
11 pessima very evil / savage ADJ.SUP.NOM.SG.F
12 comedit has eaten V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
14 bestia beast NOUN.NOM.SG.F
15 devoravit devoured V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 Ioseph Joseph NOUN.ACC.SG.M (proper)

Syntax

Subordinate clause: Quam cum agnovisset pater — temporal clause introduced by cum with pluperfect subjunctive agnovisset, expressing a completed action prior to the main clause: “when the father had recognized it.” The relative pronoun quam refers to the tunic previously mentioned.

Main clause: ait: Tunica filii mei est — ait introduces direct speech; the copular statement identifies the object: “It is my son’s tunic.”

Declarative exclamations: fera pessima comedit eum and bestia devoravit Ioseph — parallel sentences forming Jacob’s conclusion. The perfect indicative verbs comedit and devoravit indicate completed past actions inferred from the evidence.

Morphology

  1. Quam — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of agnovisset; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the tunic (feminine antecedent).
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Takes subjunctive verb to indicate prior time.
  3. agnovisset — Lemma: agnoscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb in subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “had recognized”; Notes: Pluperfect denotes completed recognition preceding Jacob’s response.
  4. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of agnovisset and ait; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Jacob; his realization triggers the lament.
  5. ait — Lemma: aiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of narration introducing speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Formulaic verb for direct discourse in Latin narrative.
  6. Tunica — Lemma: tunica; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of est; Translation: “tunic”; Notes: The garment used as proof of Joseph’s supposed death.
  7. filii — Lemma: fīlius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying tunica; Translation: “of (my) son”; Notes: Expresses personal grief and recognition.
  8. mei — Lemma: meus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: agrees with filii; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes paternal relationship in the statement.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Equates the tunic with Joseph’s garment in a factual declaration.
  10. fera — Lemma: fera; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of comedit; Translation: “beast / wild animal”; Notes: Used metaphorically for violent destruction.
  11. pessima — Lemma: malus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine superlative; Function: modifies fera; Translation: “very evil / savage”; Notes: Superlative intensifies horror and ferocity.
  12. comedit — Lemma: comedō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “has eaten”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed imagined event of destruction.
  13. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of comedit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, the presumed victim.
  14. bestia — Lemma: bestia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of devoravit; Translation: “beast”; Notes: Synonymous with fera; repetition adds emotional emphasis.
  15. devoravit — Lemma: devorō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the final clause; Translation: “devoured”; Notes: Perfect tense expresses the father’s conclusion about Joseph’s death.
  16. Ioseph — Lemma: Iōseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of devoravit; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Proper name marking the focus of grief and the climactic moment of recognition.

 

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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