Genesis 41:23

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:23 Aliæ quoque septem tenues et percussæ uredine, oriebantur e stipula:

Other seven also, thin and struck by blight, were rising from the stalk;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Aliae other NOM.PL.F
2 quoque also ADV
3 septem seven NUM.INVAR
4 tenues thin NOM.PL.F
5 et and CONJ
6 percusse struck NOM.PL.F.PPP
7 uredine by blight ABL.SG.F
8 oriebantur were rising 3PL.IMPFT.DEP.IND
9 e from PREP+ABL
10 stipula stalk ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause:
Subject: Aliae septem (spicae) — “seven other (ears).”
Verb: oriebantur — “were rising,” imperfect denoting ongoing emergence.
Adverb: quoque — adds “also,” indicating parallel to the previous seven ears.

Predicate adjectives:
• tenues — “thin,” nominative plural feminine describing the ears.
• percusse — perfect passive participle describing condition (“struck”).
• uredine — ablative of cause (“by blight / mildew”).

Prepositional phrase:
• e stipula — “from the stalk,” marking source.

Morphology

  1. Aliae — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “other”; Notes: agrees with implied spicae.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: adds “also”; Translation: “also”; Notes: never stands first in its clause.
  3. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numeral modifier; Translation: “seven”; Notes: used as cardinal number.
  4. tenues — Lemma: tenuis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: describes the subject; Translation: “thin”; Notes: predicate position describing poor condition.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the paired predicates; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  6. percusse — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine perfect passive participle; Function: additional predicate adjective; Translation: “struck”; Notes: describes the damage done.
  7. uredine — Lemma: uredinis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: “by blight”; Notes: uredine refers to grain rust/mildew.
  8. oriebantur — Lemma: orior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect indicative third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “were rising”; Notes: deponent with active meaning.
  9. e — Lemma: e/ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks source; Translation: “from”; Notes: used before consonants.
  10. stipula — Lemma: stipula; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of e; Translation: “stalk”; Notes: ablative denotes origin/location.

 

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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