Genesis 40:21

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:21 Restituitque alterum in locum suum, ut porrigeret ei poculum:

And he restored the one to his place, so that he might present the cup to him;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Restituitque and restored V.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 alterum the one / the other PRON.ACC.SG.M
3 in into PREP+ACC
4 locum place NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 suum his ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.M
6 ut so that CONJ
7 porrigeret might present / offer V.3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
8 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
9 poculum cup NOUN.ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main clause:
Restituitque alterum in locum suum — “and he restored the one to his place.”
• Subject: implied (Pharaoh).
• Verb: Restituit, perfect active.
• Object: alterum.
• Prepositional phrase: in locum suum — “to his place.”

Purpose clause:
ut porrigeret ei poculum — “so that he might present the cup to him.”
• ut introduces final clause.
• porrigeret = subjunctive.
• poculum = object.
• ei = indirect object (Pharaoh).

Morphology

  1. Restituitque — Lemma: restituo; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb, with -que joining it to the preceding action; Translation: “and restored”; Notes: Perfect denotes completed judicial action.
  2. alterum — Lemma: alter; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “the one / the other”; Notes: Refers to the chief cupbearer.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks restoration to position.
  4. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: Position or rank in court.
  5. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies locum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to the restored official.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Standard final conjunction.
  7. porrigeret — Lemma: porrigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “might offer / present”; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive matches past sequence.
  8. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh.
  9. poculum — Lemma: poculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of porrigeret; Translation: “cup”; Notes: Symbolic duty of the restored cupbearer.

 

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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