Genesis 47:11

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:11 Ioseph vero patri et fratribus suis dedit possessionem in Ægypto in optimo terræ loco, Ramesses, ut præceperat Pharao.

But Joseph gave to his father and to his brothers a possession in Egypt in the best place of the land, Ramesses, as Pharao had commanded.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ioseph Joseph NOM.SG.M
2 vero but ADV
3 patri to (his) father DAT.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 fratribus to (his) brothers DAT.PL.M
6 suis his DAT.PL.M.ADJ
7 dedit he gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 possessionem a possession ACC.SG.F
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 Ægypto Egypt ABL.SG.F
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 optimo best ABL.SG.M.ADJ
13 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F
14 loco place ABL.SG.M
15 Ramesses Rameses NOM/ACC.SG.F (INDECL.)
16 ut as CONJ
17 præceperat he had commanded 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
18 Pharao Pharaoh NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Subject: Ioseph.
Main Verb: dedit — governs the indirect objects and direct object.
Indirect Objects: patri and fratribus suis.
Direct Object: possessionem.
Locative Phrases:
— in Ægypto marks the country.
— in optimo terræ loco specifies the exact region.
Appositional Name: Ramesses clarifies location.
Subordinate Clause: ut præceperat Pharao expresses accordance with Pharaoh’s prior command.

Morphology

  1. Ioseph — Lemma: Ioseph; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Joseph”; Notes: Central figure in the narrative.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: mild contrast marker; Translation: “but”; Notes: Adds narrative contrast.
  3. patri — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (his) father”; Notes: Refers to Jacob.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links two indirect objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects recipients.
  5. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to (his) brothers”; Notes: Jacob’s sons.
  6. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to Joseph.
  7. dedit — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he gave”; Notes: Completed action.
  8. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “a possession”; Notes: Land grant.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Geographic placement.
  10. Ægypto — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: Country location.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: ablative; Function: introduces detailed location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Begins expanded locative phrase.
  12. optimo — Lemma: optimus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies loco; Translation: “best”; Notes: Superlative quality.
  13. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of the whole; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Defines the scope of “best place.”
  14. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: A particular region.
  15. Ramesses — Lemma: Ramesses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: indeclinable; Function: apposition; Translation: “Rameses”; Notes: Specific Egyptian district.
  16. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces clause of accordance; Translation: “as”; Notes: Not purposive here.
  17. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he had commanded”; Notes: Prior command of Pharaoh.
  18. Pharao — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: Egyptian ruler.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.