Genesis 43:19

Posted on February 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 43:19 Quamobrem in ipsis foribus accedentes ad dispensatorem domus

Wherefore, at the very doors, they approached the steward of the house

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quamobrem wherefore ADV
2 in in / at PREP+ABL
3 ipsis the very ABL.PL.N.DEM
4 foribus doors ABL.PL.F
5 accedentes approaching NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
6 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
7 dispensatorem the steward ACC.SG.M
8 domus of the house GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Reason adverb: Quamobrem — introduces consequence of previous fear.
Prepositional phrase: in ipsis foribus — “at the very doors,” ablative of location.
Main clause (participle expressing action): accedentes ad dispensatorem domus — nominative plural participle with prepositional phrase ad dispensatorem and genitive complement domus.
Implied subject: Joseph’s brothers.

Morphology

  1. Quamobrem — Lemma: quamobrem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks cause or consequence; Translation: “wherefore”; Notes: links tightly to previous fear.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “in / at”; Notes: static meaning here.
  3. ipsis — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: intensifier modifying foribus; Translation: “the very”; Notes: emphasizes immediacy.
  4. foribus — Lemma: foris; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “doors”; Notes: indicates location of approach.
  5. accedentes — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine present active participle; Function: describes subject’s action; Translation: “approaching”; Notes: contemporaneous with main event.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: dynamic motion.
  7. dispensatorem — Lemma: dispensator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “steward”; Notes: same steward introduced earlier.
  8. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive/genitive of relation modifying dispensatorem; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: Joseph’s household.

 

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.