Genesis 44:16

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:16 Cui Iudas: Quid respondebimus, inquit, domino meo? vel quid loquemur aut iuste poterimus obtendere? Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum: en omnes servi sumus domini mei, et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus.

To whom Judas said: “What shall we answer, my lord?” he said. “Or what shall we speak, or shall we be able to present anything justly? God has found the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are all servants of my lord, both we and the one with whom the goblet was found.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M/F.REL
2 Iudas Judah NOM.SG.M
3 Quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG
4 respondebimus shall we answer 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
5 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 domino to my lord DAT.SG.M
7 meo my DAT.SG.M.ADJ
8 vel or CONJ
9 quid what ACC.SG.N.INTERROG
10 loquemur shall we speak 1PL.FUT.DEP.IND
11 aut or CONJ
12 iuste justly ADV
13 poterimus shall we be able 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
14 obtendere to present / to allege PRES.ACT.INF
15 Deus God NOM.SG.M
16 invenit has found 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 iniquitatem iniquity ACC.SG.F
18 servorum of (your) servants GEN.PL.M
19 tuorum your GEN.PL.M.ADJ
20 en behold INTERJ
21 omnes all NOM.PL.M
22 servi servants NOM.PL.M
23 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND
24 domini of my lord GEN.SG.M
25 mei my GEN.SG.M.ADJ
26 et and CONJ
27 nos we NOM.PL.PRON
28 et and CONJ
29 apud with PREP+ACC
30 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL
31 inventus found NOM.SG.M.PPP
32 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
33 scyphus goblet NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main structure:
• Cui Iudas … ait — relative clause introducing Judah’s reply to Joseph.
• Direct questions:
– Quid respondebimus domino meo?
– vel quid loquemur
– aut iuste poterimus obtendere?
Three parallel interrogatives expressing helplessness.

Statement of guilt:
• Deus invenit iniquitatem servorum tuorum — Judah interprets the situation as divine judgment.

Declaration of submission:
• en omnes servi sumus domini mei — Judah offers total servitude.
• et nos, et apud quem inventus est scyphus — both the group and the individual are included.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine/feminine; Function: indirect object of ait; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  2. Iudas — Lemma: Iudas; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of ait; Translation: “Judah”; Notes: Judah speaks on behalf of the brothers.
  3. Quid — Lemma: quis/quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of respondebimus; Translation: “what?”; Notes: introduces the direct question.
  4. respondebimus — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st plural; Function: main verb of first question; Translation: “we shall answer”; Notes: expresses inability.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: parenthetical verb of speaking; Translation: “he said”; Notes: inserted formulaically.
  6. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to my lord”; Notes: refers to Joseph (human “lord,” not YHWH).
  7. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies domino; Translation: “my”; Notes: emphasizes Joseph’s authority.
  8. vel — Lemma: vel; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative question; Translation: “or”; Notes: rhetorical structure.
  9. quid — Lemma: quis/quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of loquemur; Translation: “what?”; Notes: parallel to previous question.
  10. loquemur — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: future indicative 1st plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we shall speak”; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  11. aut — Lemma: aut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces final alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: sharpens rhetorical effect.
  12. iuste — Lemma: iuste; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies poterimus obtendere; Translation: “justly”; Notes: implies moral helplessness.
  13. poterimus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st plural; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “we shall be able”; Notes: expresses inability.
  14. obtendere — Lemma: obtendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to present / allege”; Notes: forensic vocabulary.
  15. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of invenit; Translation: “God”; Notes: divine judgment motif.
  16. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has found”; Notes: perfective sense.
  17. iniquitatem — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of invenit; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: moral wrongdoing.
  18. servorum — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possession (“of your servants”); Translation: “of (your) servants”; Notes: expresses subordination.
  19. tuorum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies servorum; Translation: “your”; Notes: respectful address.
  20. en — Lemma: en; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: draws attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: dramatic tone.
  21. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective/pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “all”; Notes: emphasizes total surrender.
  22. servi — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “servants”; Notes: denotes bondage.
  23. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st plural; Function: linking verb; Translation: “we are”; Notes: formal declaration.
  24. domini — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possession (“servants of my lord”); Translation: “of my lord”; Notes: Joseph as superior.
  25. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies domini; Translation: “my”; Notes: marks allegiance.
  26. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues list.
  27. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural; Function: subject; Translation: “we”; Notes: includes all brothers.
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects final element; Translation: “and”; Notes: emphasis.
  29. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses presence “with”; Translation: “with”; Notes: indicates proximity.
  30. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of apud; Translation: “whom”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.
  31. inventus — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: perfect passive participle; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate with est; Translation: “found”; Notes: part of passive construction.
  32. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “was”; Notes: completes the passive.
  33. scyphus — Lemma: scyphus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of inventus est; Translation: “goblet”; Notes: the object at the center of accusation.

 

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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