Genesis 42:5

Posted on February 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 42:5 ingressi sunt terram Ægypti cum aliis qui pergebant ad emendum. Erat autem fames in terra Chanaan.

they entered the land of Egypt with the others who were going to buy. Now there was famine in the land of Chanaan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ingressi having entered NOM.PL.M.PERF.ACT.PTCP
2 sunt they 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
3 terram land ACC.SG.F
4 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F
5 cum with PREP+ABL
6 aliis others ABL.PL.M/F
7 qui who NOM.PL.M.REL
8 pergebant were going 3PL.IMPF.ACT.IND
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 emendum to buy GERUND.ACC
11 Erat there was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
12 autem now ADV
13 fames famine NOM.SG.F
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 terra land ABL.SG.F
16 Chanaan Canaan GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1:
• ingressi sunt terram Ægypti — “they entered the land of Egypt.”
— ingressi sunt = perfect formed with participle + auxiliary.
— terram Ægypti = object + genitive.

Prepositional Phrase:
• cum aliis — “with others.”
— ablative of accompaniment.

Relative Clause:
• qui pergebant ad emendum — “who were going to buy.”
— pergebant imperfect describes continuous travel.
— ad emendum expresses purpose via gerund.

Main Clause 2:
• Erat autem fames in terra Chanaan.
— “Now there was famine in the land of Canaan.”
— fames = subject.
— in terra Chanaan = location.

Morphology

  1. ingressi — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect active participle; Function: forms perfect with sunt; Translation: “having entered”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present active indicative third person plural; Function: auxiliary for perfect; Translation: “they”; Notes: supports participle.
  3. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “land”; Notes: destination of entry.
  4. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of place; Translation: “of Egypt”; Notes: classical/Vulgate spelling retained.
  5. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: standard use.
  6. aliis — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: ablative plural masculine/feminine; Function: object of cum; Translation: “others”; Notes: refers to other travelers.
  7. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: refers to “others.”
  8. pergebant — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “were going”; Notes: continuous travel action.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates purpose/motion; Translation: “to”; Notes: introduces gerund.
  10. emendum — Lemma: emo; Part of Speech: gerund; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of ad, expressing purpose; Translation: “to buy”; Notes: verbal noun construction.
  11. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “there was”; Notes: background description.
  12. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: transitional marker; Translation: “now”; Notes: shifts narrative focus.
  13. fames — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “famine”; Notes: key theme of chapter.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: fixed expression.
  15. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: place of famine.
  16. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of place; Translation: “of Canaan”; Notes: Biblical place-name.

 

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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