Genesis 45:5

Posted on February 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 45:5 Nolite pavere, neque vobis durum esse videatur quod vendidistis me in his regionibus: pro salute enim vestra misit me Deus ante vos in Ægyptum.

Do not be afraid, and let it not seem hard to you that you sold me in these regions; for for your salvation God sent me before you into Egypt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nolite do not 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 pavere to fear PRES.ACT.INF
3 neque nor CONJ
4 vobis to you DAT.PL.2P
5 durum hard NOM.SG.N/ACC.SG.M/N
6 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
7 videatur may seem 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
8 quod that CONJ
9 vendidistis you sold 2PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 his these ABL.PL.N.DEM
13 regionibus regions ABL.PL.F
14 pro for PREP+ABL
15 salute salvation ABL.SG.F
16 enim for ADV
17 vestra your ABL.SG.F/POSS
18 misit sent 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
19 me me ACC.SG.1P.PRON
20 Deus God NOM.SG.M
21 ante before PREP+ACC
22 vos you ACC.PL.2P.PRON
23 in into PREP+ACC
24 Aegyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Prohibition 1: Nolite pavere — “Do not fear.”
• Imperative plural Nolite + complementary infinitive pavere.

Prohibition 2: neque vobis durum esse videatur — “nor let it seem hard to you.”
• Dative of reference: vobis.
• Subject of infinitive clause: implicit neuter “it.”
• Verb: videatur (subjunctive passive).
• Complement: durum esse.

Object clause: quod vendidistis me in his regionibus — “that you sold me in these regions.”
• Conjunction: quod.
• Verb: vendidistis.
• Object: me.
• Locative expression: in his regionibus.

Explanatory clause: pro salute enim vestra — “for for your salvation.”
• Prepositional phrase functioning as rationale.

Main clause: misit me Deus ante vos in Aegyptum — “God sent me before you into Egypt.”
• Subject: Deus.
• Verb: misit.
• Object: me.
• Directional prepositional phrase: ante vos.
• Final destination: in Aegyptum.

Morphology

  1. Nolite — Lemma: nolo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active imperative 2nd plural; Function: negative command; Translation: “do not”; Notes: standard Latin prohibition construction.
  2. pavere — Lemma: paveo; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present active infinitive; Function: complement of Nolite; Translation: “to fear”; Notes: fear response being forbidden.
  3. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative; Function: links second prohibition; Translation: “nor”; Notes: introduces parallel negative idea.
  4. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative plural; Function: dative of reference; Translation: “to you”; Notes: marks those affected by perception.
  5. durum — Lemma: durus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate in infinitive clause; Translation: “hard”; Notes: describes emotional difficulty.
  6. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb (infinitive); Form: present active infinitive; Function: complements durum; Translation: “to be”; Notes: part of nominal infinitive construction.
  7. videatur — Lemma: videor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: jussive/volitive in subordinate negative exhortation; Translation: “may seem”; Notes: passive with impersonal sense.
  8. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: often used with verbs of emotion/perception.
  9. vendidistis — Lemma: vendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 2nd plural; Function: verb of object clause; Translation: “you sold”; Notes: recalls past event of betrayal.
  10. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of vendidistis; Translation: “me”; Notes: Joseph emphasizes personal injury.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: static location.
  12. his — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies regionibus; Translation: “these”; Notes: immediate territories.
  13. regionibus — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “regions”; Notes: refers specifically to Egypt.
  14. pro — Lemma: pro; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses purpose/benefit; Translation: “for”; Notes: denotes intended good.
  15. salute — Lemma: salus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of pro; Translation: “salvation”; Notes: deliverance from famine.
  16. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: postpositive; Function: explanatory; Translation: “for”; Notes: explains preceding prohibition.
  17. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies salute; Translation: “your”; Notes: refers to brothers collectively.
  18. misit — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: “sent”; Notes: divine agency emphasized.
  19. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of misit; Translation: “me”; Notes: contrasts divine purpose with human sin.
  20. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: explicit theological assertion.
  21. ante — Lemma: ante; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial metaphor for precedence; Translation: “before”; Notes: indicates divine providential advance.
  22. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of ante; Translation: “you”; Notes: emphasizes sequence.
  23. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion into; Translation: “into”; Notes: directional.
  24. Aegyptum — Lemma: Aegyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: locus of God’s saving plan.

 

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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