Genesis 45:1

Posted on February 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 45:1 Non se poterat ultra cohibere Ioseph multis coram astantibus: unde præcepit ut egrederentur cuncti foras, et nullus interesset alienus agnitioni mutuæ.

Joseph was no longer able to restrain himself before many who were standing by: therefore he ordered that all should go out, and that no stranger should be present at their mutual recognition.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Non not NEG.ADV
2 se himself ACC.SG.M.REFL
3 poterat was able 3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
4 ultra any longer ADV
5 cohibere to restrain PRES.ACT.INF
6 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M
7 multis many ABL.PL.M
8 coram before PREP+ABL
9 astantibus those standing by ABL.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
10 unde wherefore ADV
11 praecepit he commanded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 ut that CONJ.SUBJ
13 egrederentur they go out 3PL.IMP.SUBJ.DEP
14 cuncti all NOM.PL.M
15 foras outside ADV
16 et and CONJ
17 nullus no one NOM.SG.M
18 interesset be present 3SG.IMP.ACT.SUBJ
19 alienus a stranger NOM.SG.M
20 agnitioni to the recognition DAT.SG.F
21 mutuae mutual GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main clause: Non se poterat ultra cohibere Ioseph — Joseph could no longer restrain himself.
• Verb: poterat governing infinitive cohibere.
• Reflexive object: se.
• Modifier: ultra “any longer.”
• Subject: Ioseph.

Ablative phrase: coram multis astantibus — “before many standing by.”
• Preposition: coram.
• Ablatives: multis + participle astantibus.

Result/causal adverb: unde — introduces consequence.

Subjunctive command clause: ut egrederentur cuncti foras — “that all should go out.”
• Verb: egrederentur (deponent subjunctive).
• Subject: cuncti.
• Adverbial complement: foras.

Second clause: nullus alienus interesset agnitioni mutuae — “that no stranger be present at their mutual recognition.”
• Subject: nullus alienus.
• Verb: interesset (subjunctive).
• Dative of reference: agnitioni.
• Genitive modifier: mutuae.

Morphology

  1. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negation; Function: negates poterat; Translation: “not”; Notes: standard clausal negation.
  2. se — Lemma: se; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of cohibere; Translation: “himself”; Notes: refers back to the subject, Joseph.
  3. poterat — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of ability; Translation: “was able”; Notes: imperfect gives ongoing inability.
  4. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies poterat; Translation: “any longer”; Notes: expresses limit exceeded.
  5. cohibere — Lemma: cohibeo; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of poterat; Translation: “to restrain”; Notes: reflexive with se.
  6. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: proper noun, indeclinable in form.
  7. multis — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies astantibus; Translation: “many”; Notes: part of ablative phrase with coram.
  8. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase; Translation: “before”; Notes: implies physical presence.
  9. astantibus — Lemma: asto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: ablative plural masculine present active participle; Function: ablative with coram; Translation: “standing by”; Notes: describes the bystanders.
  10. unde — Lemma: unde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces consequence; Translation: “wherefore”; Notes: causal-result sense.
  11. praecepit — Lemma: praecipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of commanding; Translation: “he commanded”; Notes: introduces subjunctive clause.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces subjunctive; Function: command clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: sets up volitive mood.
  13. egrederentur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: imperfect subjunctive 3rd plural; Function: verb of command clause; Translation: “they go out”; Notes: deponent form with active meaning.
  14. cuncti — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of egrederentur; Translation: “all”; Notes: expresses totality.
  15. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “outside”; Notes: contrasts with interior setting.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple additive.
  17. nullus — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of interesset; Translation: “no one”; Notes: emphatic exclusion.
  18. interesset — Lemma: intersum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “be present”; Notes: subjunctive under command clause.
  19. alienus — Lemma: alienus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate/descriptor of nullus; Translation: “a stranger”; Notes: excludes outsiders.
  20. agnitioni — Lemma: agnitio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object with interesset; Translation: “to the recognition”; Notes: refers to Joseph revealing himself.
  21. mutuae — Lemma: mutuus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies agnitioni; Translation: “mutual”; Notes: stresses reciprocal recognition.

 

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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