Genesis 42:36

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:36 dixit pater Iacob: Absque liberis me esse fecistis, Ioseph non est super, Simeon tenetur in vinculis, et Beniamin auferetis: in me hæc omnia mala reciderunt.

their father Jacob said: “You have made me to be without children; Joseph is no longer alive, Simeon is held in chains, and Benjamin you will take away: upon me all these evils have fallen.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 pater father NOM.SG.M
3 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
4 Absque without PREP+ABL
5 liberis children ABL.PL.M
6 me me ACC.SG
7 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
8 fecistis you have made 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
10 non not ADV
11 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 super alive / remaining ADV
13 Simeon Simeon NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
14 tenetur is held 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 vinculis chains ABL.PL.N
17 et and CONJ
18 Beniamin Benjamin ACC.SG.M (PROPER)
19 auferetis you will take away 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
20 in upon PREP+ABL
21 me me ABL.SG
22 hæc these NOM.PL.N
23 omnia all NOM.PL.N
24 mala evils NOM.PL.N
25 reciderunt have fallen back 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Reporting Clause: dixit pater Iacob — introduces Jacob’s lament.
Object Clause (Infinitive Construction): Absque liberis me esse fecistis — “you have made me to be without children.”
• me esse = infinitive phrase functioning as object of fecistis.
• Absque liberis = prepositional phrase modifying the infinitive.

Independent Clauses in Lamentation:
• Ioseph non est super — idiom: “Joseph is no longer alive.”
• Simeon tenetur in vinculis — “Simeon is held in chains.”
• Beniamin auferetis — future directed accusation: “you will take Benjamin away.”

Final Summary Clause:
in me haec omnia mala reciderunt — “upon me all these evils have fallen.”
• in me expresses “upon me / against me” in an emotional sense.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse.
  2. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “father”; Notes: Title for Jacob.
  3. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to pater; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: Uninflected Hebrew form.
  4. Absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses deprivation; Translation: “without”; Notes: Very strong form of negation in Latin.
  5. liberis — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “children”; Notes: Plural of affection.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: subject of infinitive “esse”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Accusative with infinitive.
  7. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive in object clause; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Dependent on “fecistis.”
  8. fecistis — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of object clause; Translation: “you have made”; Notes: Emotionally charged accusation.
  9. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Hebrew form remains indeclinable.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Strengthens lament.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Copula of idiom.
  12. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: idiomatic complement; Translation: “alive / remaining”; Notes: Standard Vulgate idiom for one presumed dead.
  13. Simeon — Lemma: Simeon; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Simeon”; Notes: Refers to the brother held hostage.
  14. tenetur — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “is held”; Notes: Passive form emphasizes captivity.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Literal physical condition.
  16. vinculis — Lemma: vinculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “chains”; Notes: Indicates imprisonment.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Smooth coordination.
  18. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “auferetis”; Translation: “Benjamin”; Notes: Final remaining son of Rachel.
  19. auferetis — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “you will take away”; Notes: Expresses fearful anticipation.
  20. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: + ablative; Function: expresses direction toward speaker; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Used in emotional sense.
  21. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “me”; Notes: Indicates personal impact.
  22. haec — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “these”; Notes: Points to calamities listed.
  23. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: modifies “mala”; Translation: “all”; Notes: Totality marker.
  24. mala — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “evils”; Notes: Summarizes Jacob’s grief.
  25. reciderunt — Lemma: recido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “have fallen back”; Notes: Figurative for misfortune striking again.

 

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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