Genesis 42:2

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:2 audivi quod triticum venundetur in Ægypto: descendite, et emite nobis necessaria, ut possimus vivere, et non consumamur inopia.

I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt: go down and buy for us what is necessary, so that we may live and not perish in the poverty.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 audivi I have heard 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quod that CONJ
3 triticum wheat NOM/ACC.SG.N
4 venundetur is being sold 3SG.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 Ægypto Egypt ABL.SG.F
7 descendite go down 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 et and CONJ
9 emite buy 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
10 nobis for us DAT.PL
11 necessaria the things necessary ACC.PL.N
12 ut so that CONJ (PURPOSE)
13 possimus we may be able 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
14 vivere to live PRES.ACT.INF
15 et and CONJ
16 non not ADV
17 consumamur we may not perish 1PL.PRES.PASS.SUBJ
18 inopia poverty ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Indirect Statement:
• audivi quod triticum venundetur in Ægypto — “I have heard that wheat is being sold in Egypt.”
— audivi = verb of perception.
— quod introduces object clause.
— triticum = subject of passive verb.
— venundetur = subjunctive in indirect speech.
— in Ægypto = location.

Main Command:
• descendite, et emite nobis necessaria — “go down and buy for us what is necessary.”
— both descendite and emite are imperatives.
— nobis = indirect object.
— necessaria = direct object.

Purpose Clause 1:
• ut possimus vivere — “so that we may live.”
— possimus = subjunctive of purpose.
— vivere = complementary infinitive.

Purpose Clause 2 (Negative):
• et non consumamur inopia — “and that we may not perish in the poverty.”
— consumamur = passive subjunctive.
— inopia = ablative of cause or circumstance.

Morphology

  1. audivi — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative first person singular; Function: introduces indirect statement; Translation: “I have heard”; Notes: expresses prior knowledge.
  2. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: frequent in Vulgate.
  3. triticum — Lemma: triticum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: subject of passive verb; Translation: “wheat”; Notes: staple grain.
  4. venundetur — Lemma: venundo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive third person singular; Function: verb of indirect statement; Translation: “is being sold”; Notes: subjunctive due to dependency.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: standard spatial marker.
  6. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: classical/Vulgate spelling.
  7. descendite — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person plural; Function: command; Translation: “go down”; Notes: directed toward Canaan → Egypt.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: equal linkage.
  9. emite — Lemma: emo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative second person plural; Function: command; Translation: “buy”; Notes: practical instruction.
  10. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for us”; Notes: beneficiaries.
  11. necessaria — Lemma: necessarius; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “the necessary things”; Notes: refers to grain.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: standard final usage.
  13. possimus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive first person plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “we may be able”; Notes: expresses intended outcome.
  14. vivere — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of possimus; Translation: “to live”; Notes: basic survival.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: links secondary purpose clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: additive.
  16. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: normal negation.
  17. consumamur — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive first person plural; Function: in negative purpose clause; Translation: “we may not perish”; Notes: passive used figuratively.
  18. inopia — Lemma: inopia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of cause; Translation: “through poverty”; Notes: echoes ongoing 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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.