Genesis 44:27

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:27 Ad quæ ille respondit: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea.

To which he replied: ‘You know that my wife has borne two sons to me.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ad to PREP+ACC
2 quæ which things ACC.PL.N.REL
3 ille he NOM.SG.M.DEMONSTR
4 respondit replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Vos you NOM.PL.2ND.PRON
6 scitis you know 2PL.PRES.ACT.IND
7 quod that CONJ
8 duos two ACC.PL.M.NUM
9 genuerit has borne 3SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
10 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
11 uxor wife NOM.SG.F
12 mea my NOM.SG.F.ADJ

Syntax

Prepositional phrase: Ad quæ — “To which things,” referring to the brothers’ previous statements.
Main clause: ille respondit — “he replied,” subject ille, verb respondit.
Quoted assertion: Vos scitis quod duos genuerit mihi uxor mea — “You know that my wife has borne two sons to me.”
• Subject of main verb: Vos
• Verb: scitis
• Object clause introduced by quod
• Internal clause: subject uxor mea, verb genuerit, object duos, indirect object mihi.

Morphology

  1. Ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the phrase “to which”; Translation: “to”; Notes: expresses reference to prior speech.
  2. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: object of ad; Translation: “which things”; Notes: ties back to the brothers’ previous explanation.
  3. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  4. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “replied”; Notes: perfect indicates a completed reply.
  5. Vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative plural; Function: subject of scitis; Translation: “you”; Notes: emphatic position addressing the brothers.
  6. scitis — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd plural; Function: main verb of quoted assertion; Translation: “you know”; Notes: expresses certain knowledge.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: common Latin complementizer.
  8. duos — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of genuerit; Translation: “two”; Notes: refers to Joseph and Benjamin.
  9. genuerit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 3rd singular acting as perfect; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “has borne”; Notes: future perfect used with present meaning in subordinate clauses.
  10. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of genuerit; Translation: “to me”; Notes: indicates the beneficiary of the birth.
  11. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of genuerit; Translation: “wife”; Notes: refers specifically to Rachel.
  12. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies uxor; Translation: “my”; Notes: marks the special status of Rachel.

 

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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