Genesis 40:11

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:11 calicemque Pharaonis in manu mea: tuli ergo uvas, et expressi in calicem quem tenebam, et tradidi poculum Pharaoni.

and the goblet of Pharao was in my hand; so I took the grapes and pressed them into the goblet that I was holding, and I handed the goblet to Pharao.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 calicemque and the goblet NOUN.ACC.SG.M
2 Pharaonis of Pharaoh NOUN.GEN.SG.M
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 manu hand NOUN.ABL.SG.F
5 mea my ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.F
6 tuli I took V.1SG.PERF.IND.ACT
7 ergo therefore ADV
8 uvas grapes NOUN.ACC.PL.F
9 et and CONJ
10 expressi I pressed V.1SG.PERF.IND.ACT
11 in into PREP+ACC
12 calicem goblet NOUN.ACC.SG.M
13 quem which PRON.REL.ACC.SG.M
14 tenebam I was holding V.1SG.IMPERF.IND.ACT
15 et and CONJ
16 tradidi I handed V.1SG.PERF.IND.ACT
17 poculum goblet NOUN.ACC.SG.N
18 Pharaoni to Pharaoh NOUN.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Clause 1 (elliptical description): calicemque Pharaonis in manu mea — “and the goblet of Pharaoh was in my hand.”
The phrase functions as a verbless (or implied “erat”) clause describing the initial situation:
– Logical subject: calicemque Pharaonis
– Locative phrase: in manu mea

Clause 2: tuli ergo uvas — “so I took the grapes.”
– Implied subject “ego” (the cupbearer)
– Verb: tuli
– Direct object: uvas

Clause 3: et expressi in calicem quem tenebam — “and I pressed them into the goblet which I was holding.”
– Verb: expressi
– Prepositional phrase: in calicem
– Relative clause: quem tenebam further specifying the goblet.

Clause 4: et tradidi poculum Pharaoni — “and I handed the goblet to Pharaoh.”
– Verb: tradidi
– Direct object: poculum
– Indirect object: Pharaoni.

Morphology

  1. calicemque — Lemma: calix; Part of Speech: noun (with enclitic conjunction); Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: head of the initial noun phrase, logically the “goblet of Pharaoh” that is in the speaker’s hand; Translation: “and the goblet”; Notes: The enclitic -que (“and”) is attached to calicem but does not count as a separate orthographic word.
  2. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharaō; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying calicemque; Translation: “of Pharaoh”; Notes: Identifies the goblet as royal property.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used with ablative to express location.
  4. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Concrete locus of the goblet.
  5. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies manu; Translation: “my”; Notes: Refers to the cupbearer as dreamer and speaker.
  6. tuli — Lemma: ferō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of the first narrative action; Translation: “I took”; Notes: Perfect tense describes a completed action within the dream sequence.
  7. ergo — Lemma: ergō; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore / so”; Notes: Marks logical movement from having the goblet to taking the grapes.
  8. uvas — Lemma: ūva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of tuli; Translation: “grapes”; Notes: These are the fruit of the three branches described earlier, key to Joseph’s interpretation.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links coordinated actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects tuli, expressi, and tradidi as a sequence.
  10. expressi — Lemma: exprimō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect indicative active; Function: second main action in the sequence; Translation: “I pressed”; Notes: Describes squeezing the juice from the grapes.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion into; Translation: “into”; Notes: The case shift (accusative) marks direction toward the goblet, not mere location.
  12. calicem — Lemma: calix; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “goblet”; Notes: This is again the royal drinking vessel, now the receptacle of the pressed juice.
  13. quem — Lemma: quī; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of tenebam in the relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to calicem, further specifying its relation to the dreamer.
  14. tenebam — Lemma: teneō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular imperfect indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “I was holding”; Notes: Imperfect tense portrays ongoing action during the pressing.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces the final action of the dream; Translation: “and”; Notes: Climactic link to tradidi.
  16. tradidi — Lemma: trādō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular perfect indicative active; Function: final main verb; Translation: “I handed”; Notes: The decisive act of service which will correspond to restoration in Joseph’s interpretation.
  17. poculum — Lemma: pōculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of tradidi; Translation: “goblet”; Notes: A formal drinking vessel, appropriate to Pharaoh’s court; kept consistent with “goblet” rather than “cup.”
  18. Pharaoni — Lemma: Pharaō; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of tradidi; Translation: “to Pharaoh”; Notes: Identifies the royal recipient, crucial for the dream’s symbolic meaning.

 

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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