Genesis 40:15

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:15 quia furto sublatus sum de terra Hebræorum, et hic innocens in lacum missus sum.

for I was stolen away by theft from the land of the Hebrews, and here I have been thrown into the pit though innocent.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quia because CONJ
2 furto by theft NOUN.ABL.SG.N
3 sublatus stolen away V.PPP.NOM.SG.M
4 sum I am / I have been V.1SG.PRES.IND.ACT
5 de from PREP+ABL
6 terra land NOUN.ABL.SG.F
7 Hebræorum of the Hebrews NOUN.GEN.PL.M
8 et and CONJ
9 hic here ADV
10 innocens innocent ADJ.NOM.SG.M
11 in into PREP+ACC
12 lacum pit NOUN.ACC.SG.M
13 missus sent / cast V.PPP.NOM.SG.M
14 sum I have been V.1SG.PRES.IND.ACT

Syntax

Clause 1:
quia furto sublatus sum de terra Hebræorum — “because I was stolen away by theft from the land of the Hebrews.”
• Conjunction: quia introduces reason.
• Predicate: furto sublatus sum — passive/periphrastic sense.
• Ablative of means: furto.
• Prepositional phrase: de terra Hebræorum — source of removal.

Clause 2:
et hic innocens in lacum missus sum — “and here, though innocent, I have been thrown into the pit.”
• Adverb: hic — location, “here.”
• Adjective: innocens modifies implied subject “I.”
• Verb phrase: missus sum — passive perfect.
• Prepositional phrase: in lacum — endpoint of the action.

Morphology

  1. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Common Latin causal marker in biblical narrative.
  2. furto — Lemma: furtum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by theft”; Notes: Indicates the illicit manner of Joseph’s removal.
  3. sublatus — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective in a passive construction; Translation: “stolen away / taken away”; Notes: Participial form expressing completed action.
  4. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “I am / I have been”; Notes: Standard auxiliary for passive perfect forms.
  5. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Often used in movement-from constructions.
  6. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of de; Translation: “land”; Notes: Geographical reference.
  7. Hebræorum — Lemma: Hebraeus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies terra; Translation: “of the Hebrews”; Notes: Identifies cultural/geographic origin.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential marker.
  9. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative marker; Translation: “here”; Notes: Refers to Joseph’s present imprisonment.
  10. innocens — Lemma: innocens; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: describes Joseph; Translation: “innocent”; Notes: Provides moral justification for the plea.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks endpoint of the action.
  12. lacum — Lemma: lacus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “pit”; Notes: Prison metaphor referencing earlier narrative.
  13. missus — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate participle; Translation: “sent / cast”; Notes: Forms passive with sum.
  14. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary for passive perfect; Translation: “I have been”; Notes: Parallel to earlier sublatus sum.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.