Genesis 48:19

Posted on February 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 48:19 Qui renuens, ait: Scio fili mi, scio: et iste quidem erit in populos, et multiplicabitur: sed frater eius minor, maior erit illo: et semen illius crescet in gentes.

But he, refusing, said: “I know, my son, I know; and this one indeed shall become a people, and he shall be multiplied; but his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall grow into nations.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
2 renuens refusing PRP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
3 ait said V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Scio I know V.1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 fili my son N.VOC.SG.M
6 mi my POSS.ADJ.VOC.SG.M
7 scio I know V.1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 et and CONJ.COORD
9 iste this one DEM.PRON.NOM.SG.M
10 quidem indeed ADV
11 erit will be V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
12 in into PREP+ACC
13 populos peoples N.MASC.ACC.PL
14 et and CONJ.COORD
15 multiplicabitur he shall be multiplied V.3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
16 sed but CONJ.COORD
17 frater brother N.NOM.SG.M
18 eius his PRON.GEN.SG.M
19 minor younger ADJ.NOM.SG.M.COMP
20 maior greater ADJ.NOM.SG.M.COMP
21 erit will be V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
22 illo than he PRON.ABL.SG.M
23 et and CONJ.COORD
24 semen offspring N.NEUT.NOM.SG
25 illius of him PRON.GEN.SG.M
26 crescet will grow V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
27 in into PREP+ACC
28 gentes nations N.FEM.ACC.PL

Syntax

Relative clause opening: Qui renuens presents Jacob as the subject, with renuens functioning as a circumstantial participle describing his refusal.

Main speech verb: ait introduces Jacob’s corrective explanation to Joseph.

Emphatic repetition: Scio fili mi, scio contains direct speech, vocative fili mi addressing Joseph, and the repeated verb heightening reassurance.

Prophetic assertion #1: et iste quidem erit in populos states that Manasseh will still become “a people,” using future erit and the distributive plural populos.

Prophetic assertion #2: et multiplicabitur adds that he will be multiplied — verb in future passive.

Contrast clause: sed frater eius minor, maior erit illo introduces the decisive contrast: Ephraim (the younger) will be greater than Manasseh.

Final prediction: et semen illius crescet in gentes declares that Ephraim’s offspring will grow to become nations.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces clause describing Jacob; Translation: who; Notes: refers to Jacob correcting Joseph.
  2. renuens — Lemma: renuo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: refusing; Notes: depicts Jacob’s dissent.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: said; Notes: standard speech marker.
  4. Scio — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: emphatic assertion; Translation: I know; Notes: repeated for emphasis.
  5. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: my son; Notes: affectionate vocative.
  6. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies fili; Translation: my; Notes: enclitic-like placement for emotion.
  7. scio — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular present active indicative; Function: repeated assertion; Translation: I know; Notes: emphasizes certainty.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: joins clauses.
  9. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of erit; Translation: this one; Notes: refers to Manasseh.
  10. quidem — Lemma: quidem; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: indeed; Notes: concessive nuance.
  11. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be; Notes: prophetic future.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses transformation; Translation: into; Notes: marks outcome.
  13. populos — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: complement of in; Translation: peoples; Notes: distributive sense.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple connector.
  15. multiplicabitur — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future passive indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: he will be multiplied; Notes: divine passive.
  16. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: marks turning point.
  17. frater — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of erit; Translation: brother; Notes: refers to Ephraim.
  18. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies frater; Translation: his; Notes: refers back to Manasseh.
  19. minor — Lemma: minor; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine comparative; Function: modifier; Translation: younger; Notes: describes Ephraim.
  20. maior — Lemma: maior; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine comparative; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: greater; Notes: comparative contrast.
  21. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be; Notes: future prophecy.
  22. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of comparison; Translation: than he; Notes: standard comparative construction.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links final clause; Translation: and; Notes: continuation marker.
  24. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of crescet; Translation: offspring; Notes: collective singular.
  25. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies semen; Translation: of him; Notes: refers to Ephraim.
  26. crescet — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: final prediction; Translation: will grow; Notes: prophetic certainty.
  27. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks result; Translation: into; Notes: indicates transformation.
  28. gentes — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: nations; Notes: signifies large ethnic groups.

 

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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