Genesis 41:49

Posted on February 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 41:49 Tantaque fuit abundantia tritici, ut arenæ maris coæquaretur, et copia mensuram excederet.

And such was the abundance of wheat that it equalled the sand of the sea, and the quantity exceeded measure.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tantaque and so great NOM.SG.F + -QUE
2 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 abundantia abundance NOM.SG.F
4 tritici of wheat GEN.SG.N
5 ut that CONJ
6 arenae the sand GEN.SG.F
7 maris of the sea GEN.SG.N
8 coaequaretur might be equalled 3SG.IMP.PASS.SUBJ
9 et and CONJ
10 copia the quantity NOM.SG.F
11 mensuram measure ACC.SG.F
12 excederet exceeded 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause:
• Tantaque fuit abundantia tritici — “And so great was the abundance of wheat.”
— Tantaque = correlative adjective (“so great”) + enclitic -que.
— fuit = main verb.
— abundantia tritici = subject + genitive of material.

Result Clause 1 (ut + subjunctive):
• ut arenae maris coaequaretur — “that it equalled the sand of the sea.”
— ut introduces result.
— arenae maris = genitive chain expressing vastness.
— coaequaretur = imperfect passive subjunctive.

Result Clause 2:
• et copia mensuram excederet — “and the quantity exceeded measure.”
— copia = new subject.
— excederet = imperfect active subjunctive (result).
— mensuram = direct object.

Morphology

  1. Tantaque — Lemma: tantus; Part of Speech: adjective + enclitic; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies abundantia; Translation: “and so great”; Notes: introduces result structure.
  2. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: stative perfect.
  3. abundantia — Lemma: abundantia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “abundance”; Notes: agricultural plenty.
  4. tritici — Lemma: triticum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of substance; Translation: “of wheat”; Notes: identifies the harvest.
  5. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces result clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: used with subjunctive.
  6. arenae — Lemma: arena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive with maris; Translation: “of the sand”; Notes: expresses hyperbolic quantity.
  7. maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: possession/genitive chain; Translation: “of the sea”; Notes: biblical idiom for vastness.
  8. coaequaretur — Lemma: coaequo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect passive subjunctive third person singular; Function: result verb; Translation: “might be equalled”; Notes: expresses hypothetical result due to abundance.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links result clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins parallel results.
  10. copia — Lemma: copia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of second result clause; Translation: “the quantity”; Notes: parallel to abundantia.
  11. mensuram — Lemma: mensura; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of excederet; Translation: “measure”; Notes: expresses surpassing all limits.
  12. excederet — Lemma: excedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive third person singular; Function: verb of result; Translation: “exceeded”; Notes: imperfect subjunctive continues result nuance.

 

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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