Genesis 40:10

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:10 in qua erant tres propagines, crescere paulatim in gemmas, et post flores uvas maturescere:

on which there were three shoots, growing little by little into buds, and after the blossoms, the grapes were ripening;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 in in / on PREP+ABL
2 qua which PRON.REL.ABL.SG.F
3 erant there were V.3PL.IMP.IND.ACT
4 tres three ADJ.NUM.ACC.PL.F
5 propagines shoots NOUN.ACC.PL.F
6 crescere to grow V.INF.PRES.ACT
7 paulatim gradually ADV
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 gemmas buds NOUN.ACC.PL.F
10 et and CONJ
11 post after PREP+ACC
12 flores blossoms NOUN.ACC.PL.M
13 uvas grapes NOUN.ACC.PL.F
14 maturescere to ripen V.INF.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Relative clause: in qua erant tres propagines — “on which there were three shoots.”
— qua refers back to “vitem” (vine).

Infinitive phrase of result/process: crescere paulatim in gemmas — “to grow gradually into buds.”

Sequential phrase: et post flores uvas maturescere — “and after the blossoms, the grapes to ripen.”
Two infinitives (crescere, maturescere) describe unfolding stages in the vision.

Morphology

  1. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relative clause location; Translation: “on”; Notes: Refers to location on the vine.
  2. qua — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to “vitem.”
  3. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: Describes state in the dream.
  4. tres — Lemma: trēs; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies propagines; Translation: “three”; Notes: Important symbolic numeral.
  5. propagines — Lemma: prōpāgō; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: subject complement of erant in an inverted structure; Translation: “shoots”; Notes: Refers to vine branches.
  6. crescere — Lemma: crēscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to grow”; Notes: Describes progressive botanical development.
  7. paulatim — Lemma: paulatim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies crescere; Translation: “gradually”; Notes: Indicates slow unfolding.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses transformation; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks change of state.
  9. gemmas — Lemma: gemma; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: complement with in; Translation: “buds”; Notes: Stage of vine growth.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links infinitives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects developmental stages.
  11. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “after”; Notes: Introduces next stage.
  12. flores — Lemma: flōs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of post; Translation: “blossoms”; Notes: Intermediate phase.
  13. uvas — Lemma: ūva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: subject of infinitive maturescere; Translation: “grapes”; Notes: Final fruit stage.
  14. maturescere — Lemma: maturēscō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to ripen”; Notes: Expresses final result of growth process.

 

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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