Genesis 45:22

Posted on February 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 45:22 Singulis quoque proferri iussit binas stolas: Beniamin vero dedit trecentos argenteos cum quinque stolis optimis:

He also ordered that for each one two garments be brought forth; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver together with five finest garments.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Singulis to each DAT.PL.M/F
2 quoque also ADV
3 proferre to bring forth PRES.ACT.INF
4 iussit he ordered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 binas two each ACC.PL.F
6 stolas garments ACC.PL.F
7 Beniamin Benjamin NOM.SG.M
8 vero but ADV
9 dedit he gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 trecentos three hundred ACC.PL.M
11 argenteos pieces of silver ACC.PL.M
12 cum with PREP+ABL
13 quinque five INVAR.NUM
14 stolis garments ABL.PL.F
15 optimis best / finest ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Main clause 1:
• Singulis quoque proferre iussit binas stolas — “He also ordered that for each one two garments be brought forth.”
— Dative of advantage: Singulis
— Verb: iussit
— Complementary infinitive: proferre
— Direct object: binas stolas

Main clause 2:
• Beniamin vero dedit trecentos argenteos — “But to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver.”
— Subject: implied “he”
— Dative (understood but omitted): “to Benjamin” by position
— Direct object: trecentos argenteos

Prepositional phrase with accompaniment:
• cum quinque stolis optimis — “with five finest garments.”
— Ablative of accompaniment: stolis optimis

Morphology

  1. Singulis — Lemma: singuli; Part of Speech: distributive adjective; Form: dative plural masculine/feminine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to each”; Notes: distributive nuance.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: modifies the entire clause.
  3. proferre — Lemma: profero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive to iussit; Translation: “to bring forth”; Notes: expresses commanded action.
  4. iussit — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he ordered”; Notes: strong command verb.
  5. binas — Lemma: bini; Part of Speech: numeral adjective (distributive); Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies stolas; Translation: “two each”; Notes: expresses distribution per person.
  6. stolas — Lemma: stola; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of proferre; Translation: “garments”; Notes: outer garments or robes.
  7. Beniamin — Lemma: Beniamin; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: logical recipient despite nominative form; Translation: “Benjamin”; Notes: Hebrew name used indeclinably in Vulgate.
  8. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adversative; Function: marks contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: soft contrastive transition.
  9. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he gave”; Notes: simple perfect of benefaction.
  10. trecentos — Lemma: trecenti; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies argenteos; Translation: “three hundred”; Notes: exact amount of silver.
  11. argenteos — Lemma: argenteus; Part of Speech: adjective used substantively; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of dedit; Translation: “pieces of silver”; Notes: monetary value.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: links additional gift.
  13. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies stolis; Translation: “five”; Notes: cardinal numeral.
  14. stolis — Lemma: stola; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of accompaniment; Translation: “garments”; Notes: gifts of clothing.
  15. optimis — Lemma: optimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies stolis; Translation: “best / finest”; Notes: superlative form indicating quality.

 

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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