Genesis 47:13

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:13 In toto enim orbe panis deerat, et oppresserat fames terram, maxime Ægypti et Chanaan.

For in the whole world bread was lacking, and the famine had oppressed the land, especially of Egypt and of Chanaan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 In in PREP+ABL
2 toto whole ABL.SG.M.ADJ
3 enim for ADV
4 orbe world ABL.SG.M
5 panis bread NOM.SG.M
6 deerat was lacking 3SG.IMPFT.ACT.IND
7 et and CONJ
8 oppresserat had oppressed 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
9 fames famine NOM.SG.F
10 terram the land ACC.SG.F
11 maxime especially ADV
12 Ægypti of Egypt GEN.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 Chanaan Canaan GEN.SG.F (INDECL.)

Syntax

Prepositional Phrase: In toto orbe sets the geographical scope, “in the whole world.”
Main Clause 1: panis deerat — bread was lacking.
Main Clause 2: fames oppresserat terram — the famine had oppressed the land.
Adverb: maxime intensifies the regions named.
Genitive Modifiers: Ægypti and Chanaan specify the areas most affected by famine.

Morphology

  1. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative marker; Translation: “in”; Notes: Begins place phrase.
  2. toto — Lemma: totus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies orbe; Translation: “whole”; Notes: Indicates totality.
  3. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: adverb/postpositive; Form: adverbial; Function: introduces explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Always placed after the first word.
  4. orbe — Lemma: orbis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “world”; Notes: Geographical globe.
  5. panis — Lemma: panis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “bread”; Notes: Symbol of staple food.
  6. deerat — Lemma: desum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative third singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “was lacking”; Notes: Imperfect shows ongoing scarcity.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connector.
  8. oppresserat — Lemma: opprimo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative third singular; Function: verb of second clause; Translation: “had oppressed”; Notes: Pluperfect marks earlier devastation before Joseph’s provisions.
  9. fames — Lemma: fames; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of oppresserat; Translation: “famine”; Notes: The active force personifying scarcity.
  10. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “the land”; Notes: Refers to the environment suffering under famine.
  11. maxime — Lemma: maxime; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: intensifier; Translation: “especially”; Notes: Highlights the most afflicted regions.
  12. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of place; Translation: “of Egypt”; Notes: Specifies region hit hardest.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: connects nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Egypt and Chanaan.
  14. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: genitive of place; Translation: “of Chanaan”; Notes: Ancient region west of the Jordan.

 

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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