Genesis 43:1

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:1 Interim fames omnem terram vehementer premebat.

Meanwhile the famine was pressing hard upon the whole land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Interim meanwhile ADV
2 fames famine NOM.SG.F
3 omnem all ACC.SG.F
4 terram land ACC.SG.F
5 vehementer severely ADV
6 premebat was pressing 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Adverb: Interim — situates the narrative in parallel time.
Main Clause: fames … premebat — subject + imperfect verb describing ongoing action.
Object Phrase: omnem terram — direct object of “premebat,” specifying the extent of impact.
Manner Adverb: vehementer — intensifies the severity of the famine’s effect.

Morphology

  1. Interim — Lemma: interim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal marker; Translation: “meanwhile”; Notes: Provides narrative transition.
  2. fames — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “famine”; Notes: Often personified in Latin narrative.
  3. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “terram”; Translation: “all”; Notes: Total extent emphasized.
  4. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to regional famine condition.
  5. vehementer — Lemma: vehemens; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial derivative; Function: modifies “premebat”; Translation: “severely”; Notes: Intensifies the verb.
  6. premebat — Lemma: premo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was pressing”; Notes: Imperfect conveys continuous hardship.

 

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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