Genesis 41:39

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:39 Dixit ergo ad Ioseph: Quia ostendit tibi Deus omnia quæ locutus es, numquid sapientiorem et consimilem tui invenire potero?

He said therefore to Joseph: “Because God has shown you all the things you have spoken, shall I be able to find one wiser and like to you?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Ioseph Joseph ACC.SG.M
5 Quia because CONJ
6 ostendit has shown 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 tibi to you DAT.SG.M
8 Deus God NOM.SG.M
9 omnia all things ACC.PL.N
10 quae which REL.PRON.ACC.PL.N
11 locutus having spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
12 es you have 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 numquid surely not? INTERROG.PARTICLE
14 sapientiorem wiser ACC.SG.M.COMP
15 et and CONJ
16 consimilem like ACC.SG.M
17 tui to you / of you GEN.SG.M
18 invenire to find PRES.ACT.INF
19 potero shall I be able 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Clause:
• Dixit ergo ad Ioseph — “Then he said to Joseph.”
— Dixit = main verb.
— ad Ioseph = indirect object.

Causal Clause:
• Quia ostendit tibi Deus omnia quae locutus es — “Because God has shown you all the things you have spoken.”
— Deus = subject.
— tibi = indirect object.
— omnia quae locutus es = object (“all that you have spoken”).

Main Question:
• numquid sapientiorem et consimilem tui invenire potero?
— numquid introduces a question expecting “no.”
— sapientiorem … consimilem = double object of invenire.
— tui = genitive of comparison (“than you”).
— potero = main verb.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: narrative verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: logical connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: marks Pharaoh’s conclusion.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: standard with verbs of speaking.
  4. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: direct addressee.
  5. Quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: expresses basis for Pharaoh’s conclusion.
  6. ostendit — Lemma: ostendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “has shown”; Notes: divine revelation to Joseph.
  7. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: recipient of revelation.
  8. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ostendit; Translation: “God”; Notes: agent of revelation.
  9. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective (substantive); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “all things”; Notes: comprehensive object.
  10. quae — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: refers to omnia.
  11. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle; Function: part of deponent perfect; Translation: “having spoken”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  12. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative second person singular; Function: auxiliary forming perfect; Translation: “you have”; Notes: completes periphrastic.
  13. numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: invariable; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting “no”; Translation: “shall I indeed?”; Notes: expresses astonishment.
  14. sapientiorem — Lemma: sapiens; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine, comparative; Function: object of invenire; Translation: “wiser”; Notes: comparative of quality.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordinates two objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple connector.
  16. consimilem — Lemma: consimilis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second object of invenire; Translation: “like”; Notes: qualitative equivalence.
  17. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: genitive of comparison; Translation: “to you / than you”; Notes: standard with comparatives.
  18. invenire — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to find”; Notes: depends on potero.
  19. potero — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall I be able”; Notes: expresses Pharaoh’s implied conclusion: no one equals Joseph.

 

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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