Genesis 40:23

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:23 Et tamen succedentibus prosperis, præpositus pincernarum oblitus est interpretis sui.

And yet, with things succeeding prosperously, the chief of the cupbearers forgot his interpreter.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 tamen yet ADV
3 succedentibus with things succeeding V.PTCP.PRES.ABL.PL.N
4 prosperis prosperous ADJ.ABL.PL.N
5 præpositus chief NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 pincernarum of the cupbearers NOUN.GEN.PL.M
7 oblitus having forgotten V.PTCP.PERF.NOM.SG.M
8 est was V.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
9 interpretis of his interpreter NOUN.GEN.SG.M
10 sui his PRON.GEN.SG.M/REFL

Syntax

Main Clause:
præpositus pincernarum oblitus est interpretis sui — “the chief of the cupbearers forgot his interpreter.”
• Subject: præpositus pincernarum
• Verb: oblitus est (periphrastic perfect)
• Object (Genitive of forgetting): interpretis sui

Ablative Absolute:
succedentibus prosperis — “with prosperous things succeeding”
• Participial ablative absolute expressing circumstance under which main action occurs.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating conjunction.
  2. tamen — Lemma: tamen; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adversative particle; Translation: “yet”; Notes: Adds contrast to the situation.
  3. succedentibus — Lemma: succedo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “with things succeeding”; Notes: Participial clause describing circumstances.
  4. prosperis — Lemma: prosper; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: agrees with succedentibus; Translation: “prosperous”; Notes: Describes the favorable situation.
  5. præpositus — Lemma: præpositus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “chief”; Notes: In context, the chief cupbearer.
  6. pincernarum — Lemma: pincerna; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the cupbearers”; Notes: The chief among them.
  7. oblitus — Lemma: obliviscor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: “having forgotten”; Notes: Governs genitive case (interpretis).
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms perfect with perfect participle.
  9. interpretis — Lemma: interpres; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of the thing forgotten; Translation: “of the interpreter”; Notes: Refers to Joseph.
  10. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifying interpretis; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to præpositus.

 

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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