Genesis 44:34

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 44:34 Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum, absente puero: ne calamitatis, quæ oppressura est patrem meum, testis assistam.

For I cannot return to my father, while the boy is absent, lest I stand as a witness to the calamity which is going to overwhelm my father.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not NEG.ADV
2 enim for ADV
3 possum I am able 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 redire to return PRES.ACT.INF
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 patrem father ACC.SG.M
7 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS
8 absente being absent ABL.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
9 puero the boy ABL.SG.M
10 ne lest NEG.PURPOSE.CONJ
11 calamitatis of calamity GEN.SG.F
12 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL.PRON
13 oppressura about to overwhelm NOM.SG.F.FUT.ACT.PTCP
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 patrem father ACC.SG.M
16 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS
17 testis a witness NOM.SG.M/F
18 assistem I may stand 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main clause: Non enim possum redire ad patrem meum — “For I cannot return to my father.”
• Verb: possum + infinitive redire.
• Object of motion: ad patrem meum.

Ablative absolute: absente puero — “while the boy is absent.”
• Ablative participle absente + noun puero.

Negative purpose clause: ne … testis assistem — “lest I stand as a witness.”
• Verb: assistem (subjunctive).
• Predicate noun: testis.

Relative clause modifying ‘calamitatis’: quae oppressura est patrem meum — “which is going to overwhelm my father.”
• Subject: quae.
• Verb phrase: oppressura est (future active periphrastic).
• Object: patrem meum.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negating; Function: negates possum; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard negation.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: postpositive; Function: provides explanatory force; Translation: “for”; Notes: second-position particle.
  3. possum — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st singular; Function: modal verb; Translation: “I am able”; Notes: governs infinitive redire.
  4. redire — Lemma: redeo; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of possum; Translation: “to return”; Notes: expresses intended but impossible action.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: standard directional use.
  6. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “father”; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  7. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: “my”; Notes: expresses relationship.
  8. absente — Lemma: absum; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative singular masculine present active participle; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: “being absent”; Notes: describes state concurrent with main clause.
  9. puero — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: noun in ablative absolute; Translation: “the boy”; Notes: refers to Benjamin.
  10. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative purpose; Function: introduces clause of feared result; Translation: “lest”; Notes: triggers the subjunctive.
  11. calamitatis — Lemma: calamitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of the thing witnessed; Translation: “of calamity”; Notes: appertains to Jacob’s ruin.
  12. quae — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of oppressura est; Translation: “which”; Notes: agrees with calamitatis.
  13. oppressura — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine future active participle; Function: predicate with est; Translation: “about to overwhelm”; Notes: vivid depiction of impending disaster.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: forms periphrastic future with oppressura; Translation: “is”; Notes: expresses expected future action.
  15. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of oppressura est; Translation: “father”; Notes: repeats object for emphasis.
  16. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies patrem; Translation: “my”; Notes: underscores emotional bond.
  17. testis — Lemma: testis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine/feminine; Function: predicate nominative with assistem; Translation: “a witness”; Notes: moral complicity theme.
  18. assistem — Lemma: adsisto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive 1st singular; Function: verb of negative purpose clause; Translation: “I may stand”; Notes: volitive force under ne, expressing Judah’s dread.

 

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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