Genesis 39:17

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:17 et ait: Ingressus est ad me servus Hebræus quem adduxisti ut illuderet mihi:

and she said: “The Hebrew servant whom you brought came in to me, to mock me;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 ait said V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
3 Ingressus having entered V.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
4 est has / is V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT (AUX)
5 ad to / into PREP+ACC
6 me me PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.F
7 servus servant NOUN.NOM.SG.M
8 Hebræus Hebrew ADJ.NOM.SG.M
9 quem whom PRON.REL.ACC.SG.M
10 adduxisti you brought V.2SG.PERF.IND.ACT
11 ut that / in order that CONJ.PURP
12 illuderet he might mock V.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.ACT
13 mihi me / to me PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.F

Syntax

Speech Introduction: et ait — introduces the woman’s statement to her husband.
Main Clause: Ingressus est ad me servus Hebræus — “The Hebrew servant came in to me,” with servus Hebræus as the subject and Ingressus est as a perfect periphrastic verb of completed action.
Relative Clause: quem adduxisti — modifies servus Hebræus, directly accusing her husband (“whom you brought”).
Purpose Clause: ut illuderet mihi — dependent on adduxisti, expressing alleged purpose: “in order to mock me.”
This structure portrays the manipulative tone of accusation, combining false testimony and emotional blame.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects narrative actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the sequence of her deceitful speech.
  2. ait — Lemma: aiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common biblical narration formula.
  3. Ingressus — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: with auxiliary est; Translation: “having entered”; Notes: Marks completed entry action of the supposed event.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: auxiliary completing periphrastic perfect; Translation: “has / is”; Notes: Forms the perfect tense with the deponent participle.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction or motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates physical movement “into” the woman’s presence.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of preposition ad; Translation: “me”; Notes: Emphasizes personal victimization.
  7. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of Ingressus est; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers to Yoseph; tone of contempt implied.
  8. Hebræus — Lemma: Hebraeus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies servus; Translation: “Hebrew”; Notes: Used derogatorily, highlighting ethnic distinction.
  9. quem — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of adduxisti; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Links relative clause accusing the husband of responsibility.
  10. adduxisti — Lemma: addūcō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you brought”; Notes: Shifts blame to Potiphar, implying complicity.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: marks intended or alleged purpose; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Indicates false motive.
  12. illuderet — Lemma: illūdō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he might mock”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses alleged intent, not fact.
  13. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of illuderet; Translation: “me / to me”; Notes: Indicates the target of mockery; emphasizes emotional injury.

 

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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