Genesis 46:33

Posted on February 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 46:33 Cumque vocaverit vos, et dixerit: Quod est opus vestrum?

And when he will call you and will say: ‘What is your work?’

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ+QUE
2 vocaverit he will call 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
3 vos you ACC.PL.PRON
4 et and CONJ
5 dixerit he will say 3SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
6 Quod what NOM.SG.N.INTERROG
7 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 opus work NOM.SG.N
9 vestrum your NOM.SG.N.ADJ

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque vocaverit vos — Cumque introduces a future temporal condition (“and when”); vocaverit is the future perfect verb (“he will have called / he will call”), with vos as the direct object.

Coordinated Future-Perfect Clause: et dixerit — et coordinates two future-perfect verbs; dixerit (“he will say”) introduces the interrogative content.

Direct Question: Quod est opus vestrum? — Interrogative pronoun Quod as predicate nominative (“what”); opus is the subject (“work”); est the copula; vestrum modifies opus (“your work”).

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + -que; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction with enclitic; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause tied to the main clause by -que; Translation: “and when”; Notes: common in narrative sequencing, binding clauses closely.
  2. vocaverit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: verb of the temporal clause describing a future action preceding another; Translation: “he will call”; Notes: future perfect marks completed action relative to subsequent speech.
  3. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object of vocaverit; Translation: “you”; Notes: refers to the addressed group Joseph is preparing.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: coordinating conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds a second future-perfect verb in coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: simple additive connector.
  5. dixerit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the second temporal action; Translation: “he will say”; Notes: introduces the content of the forthcoming question.
  6. Quod — Lemma: qui/quod; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative in direct question; Translation: “what”; Notes: introduces a direct inquiry.
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: copula linking quod and opus; Translation: “is”; Notes: forms interrogative copular clause.
  8. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of est; Translation: “work”; Notes: identifies profession or occupation.
  9. vestrum — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies opus; Translation: “your”; Notes: denotes possession by the addressed group.

 

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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