Genesis 41:12

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:12 Erat ibi puer Hebræus, eiusdem ducis militum famulus: cui narrantes somnia,

There was there a Hebrew youth, servant of the same commander of the guards; to whom, as we were telling the dreams,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erat there was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
2 ibi there ADV
3 puer youth NOM.SG.M
4 Hebræus Hebrew NOM.SG.M
5 eiusdem of the same GEN.SG
6 ducis of the leader GEN.SG.M
7 militum of the soldiers GEN.PL.M
8 famulus servant NOM.SG.M
9 cui to whom DAT.SG.M
10 narrantes (we) telling PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.PL
11 somnia dreams ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Main clause: Erat ibi puer Hebræus — existential construction meaning “there was a Hebrew youth there.”
Apposition: famulus eiusdem ducis militum — “servant of the same commander of the guards,” further defining puer Hebræus.
Relative clause: cui introduces an indirect object referring back to the Hebrew youth.
Participial phrase: narrantes somnia — nominative plural present participle meaning “as we were telling the dreams,” expressing contemporaneous action.

Morphology

  1. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: existential verb; Translation: “there was”; Notes: sets the scene for the introduction of the youth.
  2. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb of place; Function: specifies location; Translation: “there”; Notes: locates the youth in the prison.
  3. puer — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject complement; Translation: “youth”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  4. Hebræus — Lemma: Hebraeus; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies puer; Translation: “Hebrew”; Notes: ethnic designation.
  5. eiusdem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies ducis; Translation: “of the same”; Notes: refers back to the commander already mentioned.
  6. ducis — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “of the commander”; Notes: points to Potiphar.
  7. militum — Lemma: miles; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: dependent genitive modifying ducis; Translation: “of the guards/soldiers”; Notes: identifies the command group.
  8. famulus — Lemma: famulus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to puer; Translation: “servant”; Notes: role of the youth in the household.
  9. cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: introduces the participial clause.
  10. narrantes — Lemma: narro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural present active participle; Function: describes the action of “we” as simultaneous with the main action; Translation: “(we) telling”; Notes: agrees with the speakers (cupbearer and baker).
  11. somnia — Lemma: somnium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of narrantes; Translation: “dreams”; Notes: refers to the two prophetic dreams.

 

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.