Genesis 40:7

Posted on February 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 40:7 sciscitatus est eos, dicens: Cur tristior est hodie solito facies vestra?

he questioned them, saying: “Why is your face today sadder than usual?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 sciscitatus having questioned PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.M (DEPONENT FORM, ACTIVE MEANING)
2 est was / has V.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
3 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
4 dicens saying PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
5 Cur why ADV.INTERROG
6 tristior sadder ADJ.COMP.NOM.SG.F
7 est is V.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
8 hodie today ADV
9 solito than usual ABL.SG.N (ABL.COMPARISON)
10 facies face NOUN.NOM.SG.F
11 vestra your ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause: sciscitatus est eos — “he questioned them.”
sciscitatus est is a deponent perfect (“he questioned”), with eos as object.

Participle of speech: dicens — introduces direct speech.

Direct question: Cur tristior est hodie solito facies vestra?
– Cur introduces the question.
– facies vestra = subject phrase.
– tristior = predicate adjective (comparative).
– solito = ablative of comparison.
– hodie = adverb modifying est.

Morphology

  1. sciscitatus — Lemma: sciscitor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of periphrastic verb construction; Translation: “having questioned”; Notes: Deponent: passive form, active meaning.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary to perfect participle; Translation: “has”; Notes: Forms perfect of deponent verb.
  3. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the two imprisoned officers.
  4. dicens — Lemma: dīcō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Concurrent action with the main verb.
  5. Cur — Lemma: cūr; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: interrogative; Function: introduces question; Translation: “why”; Notes: Standard Latin interrogative adverb.
  6. tristior — Lemma: trīstis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine comparative; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “sadder”; Notes: Compared with ablative solito.
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate adjective.
  8. hodie — Lemma: hodiē; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “today”; Notes: Specifies the day of unusual sadness.
  9. solito — Lemma: solitus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of comparison; Translation: “than usual”; Notes: Idiomatic Latin for comparison.
  10. facies — Lemma: faciēs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “face”; Notes: Here metaphorically indicating outward emotional expression.
  11. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies facies; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to both men collectively.

 

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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