Genesis 47:2

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:2 Extremos quoque fratrum suorum quinque viros constituit coram rege:

He also presented the extreme ones of his brothers, five men, before the king,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Extremos the extreme ones ACC.PL.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 fratrum of brothers GEN.PL.M
4 suorum their GEN.PL.M
5 quinque five INDECL.NUM
6 viros men ACC.PL.M
7 constituit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 coram before PREP+ABL
9 rege king ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: constituit is the main verb, with Extremos … quinque viros as the direct object.
Genitive Phrase: fratrum suorum modifies Extremos, showing possession.
Prepositional Phrase: coram rege expresses spatial relation “before the king.”

Morphology

  1. Extremos — Lemma: extremus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies viros; Translation: “the extreme ones”; Notes: Suggests either physically prominent or highest-ranking individuals.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverbial; Function: adds inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Expands Joseph’s earlier actions.
  3. fratrum — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive with Extremos; Translation: “of brothers”; Notes: Identifies the group under discussion.
  4. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies fratrum; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to Joseph.
  5. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: counts viros; Translation: “five”; Notes: Standard cardinal numeral.
  6. viros — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “men”; Notes: The individuals Joseph presents.
  7. constituit — Lemma: constituo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he placed / set”; Notes: Narrative past; positions them before Pharaoh.
  8. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates physical presence before someone; Translation: “before”; Notes: Often used in formal settings.
  9. rege — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of coram; Translation: “king”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh.

 

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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