Genesis 41:31

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:31 et ubertatis magnitudinem perditura est inopiæ magnitudo.

and the greatness of barrenness will destroy the greatness of abundance.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 ubertatis of abundance GEN.SG.F
3 magnitudinem greatness ACC.SG.F
4 perditura going to destroy NOM.SG.F.FUT.ACT.PTCP
5 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 inopiae of barrenness GEN.SG.F
7 magnitudo greatness NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause:
inopiae magnitudo — the subject (“the greatness of barrenness”).
perditura est — periphrastic future (“is going to destroy”).
ubertatis magnitudinem — the object (“the greatness of abundance”).

Sentence structure:
Subject → periphrastic future verb → object.

Genitives:
• ubertatis modifies magnitudinem.
• inopiae modifies magnitudo.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: joins this prophetic statement to the previous one; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple coordinator.
  2. ubertatis — Lemma: ubertas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies magnitudinem; Translation: “of abundance”; Notes: expresses quality.
  3. magnitudinem — Lemma: magnitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of perditura est; Translation: “greatness”; Notes: refers to the prosperity previously mentioned.
  4. perditura — Lemma: perdo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine future active participle; Function: predicate with est forming periphrastic future; Translation: “going to destroy”; Notes: expresses imminent devastation.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: auxiliary in periphrastic future; Translation: “is”; Notes: helps form the future construction.
  6. inopiae — Lemma: inopia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies magnitudo; Translation: “of barrenness”; Notes: contrasts sharply with ubertas.
  7. magnitudo — Lemma: magnitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of perditura est; Translation: “greatness”; Notes: expresses overwhelming severity of the famine.

 

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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