Genesis 48:18

Posted on February 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 48:18 Dixitque ad patrem: Non ita convenit, pater: quia hic est primogenitus, pone dexteram tuam super caput eius.

And he said to his father: “It is not so, father, for this one is the firstborn; place your right hand upon his head.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCL
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 patrem father N.MASC.ACC.SG
4 Non not ADV.NEG
5 ita so ADV
6 convenit it is fitting V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 pater father N.VOC.SG.M
8 quia because CONJ.SUBORD
9 hic this one DEM.PRON.NOM.SG.M
10 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 primogenitus firstborn ADJ.NOM.SG.M
12 pone place V.2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
13 dexteram right (hand) ADJ.FEM.ACC.SG
14 tuam your POSS.ADJ.FEM.ACC.SG
15 super upon PREP+ACC
16 caput head N.NEUT.ACC.SG
17 eius his PRON.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Speech introduction: Dixitque presents Joseph speaking, with ad patrem marking the addressee.

Protest clause: Non ita convenit, pater expresses Joseph’s objection.
The verb convenit is impersonal, meaning “it is fitting / appropriate,” with non ita forming the negation.

Reason clause: quia hic est primogenitus provides the justification.
hic serves as the demonstrative subject, and primogenitus forms the predicate nominative.

Command clause: pone dexteram tuam super caput eius is Joseph’s directive to Jacob.
The imperative pone takes the object dexteram tuam and the prepositional phrase super caput eius indicating placement.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb (with enclitic); Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative + -que; Function: introduces speech; Translation: and he said; Notes: enclitic links with prior narrative.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: to; Notes: standard marker of addressee.
  3. patrem — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: father; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  4. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: modifies ita convenit.
  5. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: so; Notes: expresses manner.
  6. convenit — Lemma: convenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: impersonal verb; Translation: it is fitting; Notes: expresses suitability.
  7. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: father; Notes: vocative identical in form to nominative.
  8. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces reason clause; Translation: because; Notes: common causal connector.
  9. hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: this one; Notes: refers to Manasseh.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links subject with predicate.
  11. primogenitus — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: firstborn; Notes: indicates birth-order privilege.
  12. pone — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular present active imperative; Function: command; Translation: place; Notes: direct instruction from Joseph.
  13. dexteram — Lemma: dexter; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies manum; Translation: right; Notes: refers to Jacob’s right hand of blessing.
  14. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies dexteram; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes whose hand.
  15. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces location; Translation: upon; Notes: standard placement preposition.
  16. caput — Lemma: caput; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: head; Notes: physical location for the blessing.
  17. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of caput; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to the firstborn (Manasseh).

 

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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