Genesis 41:37

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:37 Placuit Pharaoni consilium et cunctis ministris eius:

The plan pleased Pharao and all his ministers;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Placuit pleased 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Pharaoni to Pharaoh DAT.SG.M
3 consilium the plan NOM.SG.N
4 et and CONJ
5 cunctis to all DAT.PL.M
6 ministris the ministers DAT.PL.M
7 eius his GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Placuit Pharaoni consilium — “The plan pleased Pharaoh.”
— consilium = subject.
— Placuit = impersonal-like verb meaning “was pleasing to.”
— Pharaoni = dative of the person pleased.

Coordinated Phrase:
• et cunctis ministris eius — “and all his ministers.”
— cunctis ministris = additional datives with placuit.
— eius modifies ministris.

Morphology

  1. Placuit — Lemma: placeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “pleased”; Notes: governs a dative of the person pleased.
  2. Pharaoni — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: dative of advantage (person pleased); Translation: “to Pharaoh”; Notes: recipient of the emotional effect.
  3. consilium — Lemma: consilium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of placuit; Translation: “the plan”; Notes: refers to Joseph’s proposed administrative strategy.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links additional datives; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  5. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies ministris; Translation: “to all”; Notes: expresses totality.
  6. ministris — Lemma: minister; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: second dative governed by placuit; Translation: “the ministers”; Notes: Pharaoh’s officials.
  7. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifying ministris; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers to Pharaoh.

 

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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