Genesis 41:20

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:20 quæ, devoratis et consumptis prioribus,

which, after the former ones had been devoured and consumed,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quae which REL.PRON.NOM.PL.F
2 devoratis after having devoured ABL.PL.PPP
3 et and CONJ
4 consumptis after having consumed ABL.PL.PPP
5 prioribus the former ones ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Relative Clause:
quae — nominative plural feminine; subject of the clause, referring back to the seven deformed cows.

Ablative Absolute: devoratis et consumptis prioribus
• devoratis — perfect passive participle, forming part of the ablative absolute.
• consumptis — parallel perfect passive participle, also in ablative.
• prioribus — ablative plural, substantive adjective functioning as the object within the ablative absolute (“the former ones”).
Function: Sets temporal background (“after the former ones had been devoured and consumed”).

Morphology

  1. quae — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of the clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to the later group of cows in the dream narrative.
  2. devoratis — Lemma: devoro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural perfect passive participle; Function: part of an ablative absolute construction; Translation: “after having been devoured”; Notes: indicates completed prior action.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the two participles; Translation: “and”; Notes: typical connective.
  4. consumptis — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural perfect passive participle; Function: second element of the ablative absolute; Translation: “after having been consumed”; Notes: reinforces total destruction.
  5. prioribus — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object within the ablative absolute; Translation: “the former ones”; Notes: refers to the first set of cows.

 

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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