Genesis 37:9

Posted on February 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Aliud quoque vidit somnium, quod narrans fratribus, ait: Vidi per somnium, quasi solem, et lunam, et stellas undecim adorare me.

He also saw another dream, and as he told it to his brothers, he said: “I saw in a dream, as if the sun and the moon and eleven stars were worshiping me.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Aliud another ADJ.ACC.SG.N
2 quoque also ADV
3 vidit he saw V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 somnium dream NOUN.ACC.SG.N
5 quod which PRON.REL.ACC.SG.N
6 narrans telling PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
7 fratribus to brothers NOUN.DAT.PL.M
8 ait he said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Vidi I saw V.1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 per through / in PREP+ACC
11 somnium dream NOUN.ACC.SG.N
12 quasi as if ADV
13 solem sun NOUN.ACC.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 lunam moon NOUN.ACC.SG.F
16 et and CONJ
17 stellas stars NOUN.ACC.PL.F
18 undecim eleven NUM.CARD.INDECL
19 adorare to worship V.INF.PRES.ACT
20 me me PRON.PERS.ACC.SG

Syntax

Main Clause: Aliud quoque vidit somnium —
The subject (understood “he,” i.e., Joseph) with vidit introduces the new vision: “He also saw another dream.” The object somnium is neuter singular.

Relative Clause: quod narrans fratribus, ait —
The relative pronoun quod links to somnium; the participle narrans governs fratribus (“telling his brothers”). The main verb ait introduces Joseph’s direct quotation.

Direct Speech: Vidi per somnium, quasi solem et lunam et stellas undecim adorare me —
The infinitive adorare functions in indirect discourse after vidi. The accusatives solem, lunam, stellas undecim serve as subjects of adorare, and me as its object. The adverb quasi softens the statement, indicating visionary or symbolic sight.

Morphology

  1. Aliud — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies somnium; Translation: “another”; Notes: Refers to a second dream distinct from the first.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “also”; Notes: Adds continuity between previous and current narrative action.
  3. vidit — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “he saw”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed visionary act.
  4. somnium — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of vidit; Translation: “dream”; Notes: Refers to the new prophetic dream.
  5. quod — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of narrans; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to somnium.
  6. narrans — Lemma: narrō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, present active; Function: modifies subject (Joseph); Translation: “telling”; Notes: Describes contemporaneous action—telling while speaking.
  7. fratribus — Lemma: frāter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (his) brothers”; Notes: Indicates recipients of narration.
  8. ait — Lemma: ait; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Typical narrative verb introducing quotation.
  9. Vidi — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of reported vision; Translation: “I saw”; Notes: Joseph’s first-person claim within his dream narrative.
  10. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses medium; Translation: “through / in”; Notes: Idiomatic with somnium meaning “in a dream.”
  11. somnium — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of per; Translation: “dream”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis on visionary medium.
  12. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as if”; Notes: Signals metaphorical or visionary perception.
  13. solem — Lemma: sōl; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: subject of infinitive adorare; Translation: “sun”; Notes: Represents Jacob, Joseph’s father, in symbolic imagery.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinate elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective.
  15. lunam — Lemma: lūna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: subject of infinitive adorare; Translation: “moon”; Notes: Symbolic of Joseph’s mother or matriarchal figure.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: continues coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects final element in the list.
  17. stellas — Lemma: stella; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: subject of infinitive adorare; Translation: “stars”; Notes: Represent Joseph’s brothers in the dream.
  18. undecim — Lemma: undecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifies stellas; Translation: “eleven”; Notes: Corresponds to the number of Joseph’s brothers.
  19. adorare — Lemma: adōrō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: infinitive complement to vidi; Translation: “to worship”; Notes: Infinitive used in indirect discourse expressing vision.
  20. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of adorare; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Joseph, the object of homage in his dream vision.

 

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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