Genesis 50:11

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:11 Quod cum vidissent habitatores Terræ Chanaan, dixerunt: Planctus magnus est iste Ægyptiis. Et idcirco vocatum est nomen loci illius, Planctus Ægypti.

Which when the inhabitants of the land of Chanaan had seen, they said: “Great is this mourning for the Egyptians.” And therefore the name of that place was called the Mourning of Egypt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod which REL.PRON.ACC.SG.N
2 cum when CONJ.SUBORD
3 vidissent they had seen V.3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 habitatores inhabitants N.MASC.NOM.PL
5 Terræ of the land N.FEM.GEN.SG
6 Chanaan Chanaan PN.GEN.SG
7 dixerunt they said V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Planctus mourning N.MASC.NOM.SG
9 magnus great ADJ.NOM.SG.M
10 est is V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 iste this DEM.ADJ.NOM.SG.M
12 Ægyptiis to the Egyptians N.MASC.DAT.PL
13 Et and CONJ.COORD
14 idcirco therefore ADV
15 vocatum called PPP.NOM.SG.N
16 est was V.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
17 nomen name N.NEUT.NOM.SG
18 loci of the place N.MASC.GEN.SG
19 illius of that DEM.GEN.SG.M
20 Planctus Mourning N.MASC.NOM.SG
21 Ægypti of Egypt PN.GEN.SG

Syntax

Temporal-relative construction:
Quod cum vidissent habitatores Terræ Chanaan —
Quod is a connecting relative (“and when this”), object of vidissent.
cum … vidissent is a circumstantial cum-clause in the pluperfect subjunctive, marking anterior time.
habitatores Terræ Chanaan is the subject (“the inhabitants of the land of Chanaan”).

Main clause: dixerunt — “they said.”
Direct statement: Planctus magnus est iste Ægyptiis.
Planctus (subject) + magnus (predicate adjective).
Ægyptiis is a dative of reference (“for the Egyptians”).

Consequential clause:
Et idcirco vocatum est nomen loci illius Planctus Ægypti —
idcirco gives logical consequence (“therefore”).
vocatum est is passive.
nomen loci illius is the subject phrase.
Planctus Ægypti is the predicate name applied to the place.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: connecting object of vidissent; Translation: which; Notes: introduces temporal-relative clause.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces circumstantial clause; Translation: when; Notes: governs subjunctive.
  3. vidissent — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural pluperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of cum-clause; Translation: they had seen; Notes: expresses anteriority.
  4. habitatores — Lemma: habitator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: inhabitants; Notes: of the region.
  5. Terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the land; Notes: modifies Chanaan.
  6. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: place name; Translation: of Chanaan; Notes: ancient region.
  7. dixerunt — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they said; Notes: introduces direct speech.
  8. Planctus — Lemma: planctus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: mourning; Notes: refers to ritual lamentation.
  9. magnus — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: great; Notes: intensifies emotional force.
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: copula; Translation: is; Notes: links predicate.
  11. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies planctus; Translation: this; Notes: points to observed event.
  12. Ægyptiis — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: dative of reference; Translation: for the Egyptians; Notes: identifies who is affected.
  13. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: links clauses; Translation: and; Notes: simple coordination.
  14. idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: indicates consequence; Translation: therefore; Notes: logical inference.
  15. vocatum — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular neuter perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: called; Notes: agrees with nomen.
  16. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: was; Notes: forms passive construction.
  17. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of vocatum est; Translation: name; Notes: refers to designation of place.
  18. loci — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the place; Notes: specification.
  19. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies loci; Translation: of that; Notes: distant reference.
  20. Planctus — Lemma: planctus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate name; Translation: Mourning; Notes: title given to the location.
  21. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular; Function: descriptive genitive; Translation: of Egypt; Notes: identifies association with Egyptian mourning.

 

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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