Genesis 47:25

Posted on February 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 47:25 Qui responderunt: Salus nostra in manu tua est: respiciat nos tantum dominus noster, et læti serviemus regi.

They answered: “Our safety is in your hand; let our lord only look upon us, and we will gladly serve the king.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.PL.M.REL.PRO
2 responderunt answered 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Salus safety NOM.SG.F
4 nostra our NOM.SG.F.ADJ
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 manu hand ABL.SG.F
7 tua your ABL.SG.F.ADJ
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 respiciat let him look upon 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
10 nos us ACC.PL.PRON
11 tantum only ADV
12 dominus lord NOM.SG.M
13 noster our NOM.SG.M.ADJ
14 et and CONJ
15 læti glad NOM.PL.M.ADJ
16 serviemus we will serve 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
17 regi the king DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui responderunt — “who answered.”
• Qui = subject
• responderunt = verb

Main Statement: Salus nostra in manu tua est — “Our safety is in your hand.”
• Salus nostra = subject phrase
• in manu tua = ablative phrase of instrument/authority
• est = copula

Subjunctive Wish/Request: respiciat nos tantum dominus noster — “let our lord only look upon us.”
• respiciat = jussive subjunctive
• dominus noster = subject
• nos = object
• tantum = adverb limiting action

Coordinated Future Clause: et læti serviemus regi — “and we will gladly serve the king.”
• læti = nominative plural modifying subject
• serviemus = verb
• regi = indirect object

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of responderunt; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to the people speaking.
  2. responderunt — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative third plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Perfect tense in narrative sequence.
  3. Salus — Lemma: salus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “safety”; Notes: Emphasizes protection.
  4. nostra — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies Salus; Translation: “our”; Notes: Possessive relation.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location or control; Translation: “in”; Notes: Shows whose authority determines safety.
  6. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Symbol of power/authority.
  7. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies manu; Translation: “your”; Notes: Addressed to Joseph.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Equational structure.
  9. respiciat — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive third singular; Function: jussive; Translation: “let him look upon”; Notes: Used as a polite or deferential request.
  10. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of respiciat; Translation: “us”; Notes: Direct object.
  11. tantum — Lemma: tantum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifier; Translation: “only”; Notes: Restricts the action to one requirement.
  12. dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of respiciat; Translation: “lord”; Notes: Human superior (Joseph), NOT YHWH.
  13. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies dominus; Translation: “our”; Notes: Indicates loyalty.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordination.
  15. læti — Lemma: laetus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies implied subject “we”; Translation: “glad”; Notes: Indicates willing service.
  16. serviemus — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative first plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we will serve”; Notes: Promise for future allegiance.
  17. regi — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “the 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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