Genesis 48:14

Posted on February 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 48:14 Qui extendens manum dexteram, posuit super caput Ephraim minoris fratris: sinistram autem super caput Manasse qui maior natu erat, commutans manus.

He, stretching out his right hand, placed it upon the head of Ephraim the younger brother, but his left upon the head of Manasses who was older by birth, reversing the hands.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
2 extendens stretching out PRP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
3 manum hand N.FEM.ACC.SG
4 dexteram right ADJ.FEM.ACC.SG
5 posuit placed V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 caput head N.NEUT.ACC.SG
8 Ephraim Ephraim PN.ACC.SG.M
9 minoris of the younger ADJ.GEN.SG.M
10 fratris brother N.MASC.GEN.SG
11 sinistram left ADJ.FEM.ACC.SG
12 autem however ADV.CONTRAST
13 super upon PREP+ACC
14 caput head N.NEUT.ACC.SG
15 Manasse of Manasseh PN.GEN.SG.M
16 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
17 maior older ADJ.NOM.SG.M.COMP
18 natu by birth N.NEUT.ABL.SG
19 erat was V.3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
20 commutans reversing PRP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
21 manus hands N.FEM.ACC.PL

Syntax

Relative clause: The sentence begins with Qui, introducing a relative clause whose implied antecedent is Jacob.
The participle extendens functions attributively, with its object manum dexteram marking the right hand being stretched forth.

Main verbal action: The finite verb posuit governs the phrase super caput Ephraim as its prepositional complement, and the genitive phrase minoris fratris further specifies Ephraim’s identity as the younger brother.

Contrasting parallel action: The adverb autem introduces a contrast, shifting attention to the left hand (sinistram), which is also placed super caput Manasse.
The relative clause qui maior natu erat describes Manasseh as the elder by birth.

Final modifying participle: The nominative participle commutans modifies the subject and expresses an accompanying action—reversing (manus) the hands intentionally, contrary to normal birthright expectations.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces the relative clause describing Jacob; Translation: who; Notes: agrees in gender and number with its implied antecedent.
  2. extendens — Lemma: extendo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: describes an accompanying action of the subject; Translation: stretching out; Notes: conveys simultaneous action with the main verb posuit.
  3. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of extendens understood; Translation: hand; Notes: direct object representing what is being extended.
  4. dexteram — Lemma: dexter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies manum; Translation: right; Notes: refers to the culturally significant right hand of blessing.
  5. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: placed; Notes: perfect tense expresses a completed narrative action.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: indicates physical placement on the head.
  7. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: locus of blessing gesture.
  8. Ephraim — Lemma: Ephraim; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: complement of super caput; Translation: Ephraim; Notes: the younger son being favored.
  9. minoris — Lemma: minor; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies fratris; Translation: of the younger; Notes: expresses birth-order contrast.
  10. fratris — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the brother; Notes: identifies Ephraim by relation.
  11. sinistram — Lemma: sinister; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of implicit extendens or posuit; Translation: left; Notes: contrasts the earlier right hand.
  12. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: adverbial conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: marks contrast; Translation: however; Notes: introduces a balancing parallel action.
  13. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: identical function to earlier usage.
  14. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: location of gesture.
  15. Manasse — Lemma: Manasses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable spelling); Function: dependent genitive with caput; Translation: of Manasseh; Notes: identifies the elder son.
  16. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of erat; Translation: who; Notes: begins descriptive relative clause.
  17. maior — Lemma: maior; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine comparative; Function: predicate adjective with erat; Translation: older; Notes: conveys comparative birth order.
  18. natu — Lemma: natus (ablative of specification); Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of respect; Translation: by birth; Notes: idiomatic expression “older by birth.”
  19. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: was; Notes: describes a standing condition in the past.
  20. commutans — Lemma: commuto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle describing simultaneous reversal; Translation: reversing; Notes: highlights deliberate inversion of expected roles.
  21. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of commutans; Translation: hands; Notes: refers to the switching of blessing hands.

 

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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