Genesis 39:9

Posted on February 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 39:9 nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate, vel non tradiderit mihi, præter te, quæ uxor eius es: quo modo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum?

and there is nothing that is not in my power or that he has not handed over to me, except you, who are his wife. How then could I do this evil and sin against my God?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 nec nor / and not CONJ.NEG
2 quidquam anything PRON.INDEF.NOM/ACC.SG.N
3 est is V.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
4 quod which / that PRON.REL.NOM/ACC.SG.N
5 non not ADV.NEG
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 mea my ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.F
8 sit is / be V.3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
9 potestate power / authority NOUN.ABL.SG.F
10 vel or / even CONJ
11 non not ADV.NEG
12 tradiderit he has handed over V.3SG.PERF.SUBJ.ACT
13 mihi to me PRON.PERS.DAT.SG.1
14 præter except / besides PREP+ACC
15 te you PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.F
16 quæ who PRON.REL.NOM.SG.F
17 uxor wife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
18 eius of him / his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
19 es are V.2SG.PRES.IND.ACT
20 quo by what / how ADV.INTERR
21 modo way / manner NOUN.ABL.SG.M
22 ergo therefore / then CONJ.ADV
23 possum I am able / can V.1SG.PRES.IND.ACT
24 hoc this PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.N
25 malum evil / wrong NOUN.ACC.SG.N
26 facere to do / make V.INF.PRES.ACT
27 et and CONJ
28 peccare to sin V.INF.PRES.ACT
29 in against / toward PREP+ACC
30 Deum God NOUN.ACC.SG.M
31 meum my ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

First Clause: nec quidquam est quod non in mea sit potestate — a negative declarative clause meaning “there is nothing that is not under my power.” The relative clause quod non in mea sit potestate depends on quidquam, with sit in the subjunctive of characteristic.
Second Clause: vel non tradiderit mihi — coordinates with the first using vel (“or”), forming a parallel idea: “or that he has not handed over to me.”
Exception Phrase: præter te, quæ uxor eius es — prepositional phrase of exception, “except you, who are his wife,” with relative clause clarifying identity.
Final Rhetorical Question: quo modo ergo possum hoc malum facere, et peccare in Deum meum? — interrogative adverb quo modo introduces a moral question; the infinitives facere and peccare depend on possum, expressing inability to commit sin against God.

Morphology

  1. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins and negates; Translation: “nor / and not”; Notes: Connects negative clause with previous sentence.
  2. quidquam — Lemma: quidquam; Part of Speech: indefinite pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of est; Translation: “anything”; Notes: Used in negative expressions to emphasize totality.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Expresses factual assertion of Joseph’s authority.
  4. quod — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces relative clause modifying quidquam; Translation: “that / which”; Notes: Links subordinate clause to antecedent.
  5. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates sit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negative particle of the relative clause.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates position or sphere; Translation: “in / within”; Notes: Common with ablative to express state or control.
  7. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies potestate; Translation: “my”; Notes: Denotes personal control.
  8. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb in relative clause of characteristic; Translation: “is / be”; Notes: Subjunctive used for general or indefinite assertion.
  9. potestate — Lemma: potestās; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition in; Translation: “power / authority”; Notes: Metonymy for governance or responsibility.
  10. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates alternatives; Translation: “or”; Notes: Mildly connective, not exclusive.
  11. non — Lemma: nōn; Part of Speech: adverb; Function: negates tradiderit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of entrustment.
  12. tradiderit — Lemma: trādō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect subjunctive active; Function: dependent verb within relative construction; Translation: “he has handed over”; Notes: Subjunctive for indirect or general statement.
  13. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Joseph as steward of the house.
  14. præter — Lemma: praeter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses exception; Translation: “except / besides”; Notes: Excludes the mistress from total authority.
  15. te — Lemma: tū; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of præter; Translation: “you”; Notes: Directly addresses Potiphar’s wife.
  16. quæ — Lemma: quī, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of es; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces explanatory clause.
  17. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Identifies her legal status.
  18. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Potiphar.
  19. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present indicative active; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “are”; Notes: Asserts her marital identity.
  20. quo — Lemma: quō; Part of Speech: interrogative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces question of manner; Translation: “how”; Notes: Often paired with modo.
  21. modo — Lemma: modus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of manner; Translation: “manner / way”; Notes: With quo forms interrogative phrase “in what way.”
  22. ergo — Lemma: ergō; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore / then”; Notes: Expresses moral reasoning.
  23. possum — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “I can / am able”; Notes: Expresses moral impossibility rather than physical ability.
  24. hoc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of facere; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to specific act proposed.
  25. malum — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of facere; Translation: “evil”; Notes: Moral term referring to adultery.
  26. facere — Lemma: faciō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: infinitive present active; Function: complementary infinitive with possum; Translation: “to do / commit”; Notes: Completes the expression of ability.
  27. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links parallel infinitives facere and peccare; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects moral and religious offenses in Joseph’s reasoning.
  28. peccare — Lemma: peccō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: infinitive present active; Function: complementary infinitive with possum; Translation: “to sin”; Notes: Paired with facere, stresses dual gravity—sinning morally and religiously.
  29. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses opposition or violation (“against”); Translation: “against”; Notes: Common biblical idiom for sinning “against” God.
  30. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition in; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the divine lawgiver whom Joseph fears to offend.
  31. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies Deum; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reflects Joseph’s personal relationship and loyalty to God.

 

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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