Genesis 50:3

Posted on February 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 50:3 Quibus iussa explentibus, transierunt quadraginta dies: iste quippe mos erat cadaverum conditorum. flevitque eum Ægyptus septuaginta diebus.

And while they were carrying out the orders, forty days passed; for this was indeed the custom of those who embalmed bodies. And Egypt wept for him seventy days.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quibus while which / as they REL.PRON.ABL.PL
2 iussa orders PPP.NEUT.ACC/ABL.PL
3 explentibus fulfilling PRES.ACT.PTCP.ABL.PL.M
4 transierunt passed V.3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 quadraginta forty NUM.INVAR
6 dies days N.MASC.NOM.PL
7 iste this DEM.ADJ.NOM.SG.M
8 quippe indeed ADV
9 mos custom N.MASC.NOM.SG
10 erat was V.3SG.IMP.ACT.IND
11 cadaverum of bodies N.NEUT.GEN.PL
12 conditorum of those embalming PRES.ACT.PTCP.GEN.PL.M
13 flevitque and wept V.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
14 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
15 Ægyptus Egypt N.MASC.NOM.SG
16 septuaginta seventy NUM.INVAR
17 diebus days N.MASC.ABL.PL

Syntax

Ablative absolute: Quibus iussa explentibus —
quibus + explentibus forms an ablative absolute meaning “while they were carrying out the orders.”
iussa is the object of explentibus understood inside the phrase.

Main clause 1: transierunt quadraginta dies —
transierunt (“forty days passed”) expresses lapse of time.
quadraginta dies is the subject phrase.

Explanatory clause: iste quippe mos erat cadaverum conditorum —
iste mos (“this custom”) is the subject.
cadaverum conditorum is a genitive plural phrase (“of those who embalmed bodies”).
quippe adds explanatory emphasis (“indeed / for in fact”).

Main clause 2: flevitque eum Ægyptus septuaginta diebus —
flevitque (“and Egypt wept for him”) is linked via -que.
Ægyptus is the subject.
eum is the object.
septuaginta diebus is an ablative of duration (“for seventy days”).

Morphology

  1. Quibus — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: while which; Notes: refers to servants/physicians.
  2. iussa — Lemma: iubeo; Part of Speech: participial noun; Form: perfect passive participle neuter accusative/ablative plural; Function: object within participial clause; Translation: orders; Notes: general commands given by Joseph.
  3. explentibus — Lemma: expleo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative absolute; Translation: fulfilling; Notes: denotes ongoing action.
  4. transierunt — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd plural perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: passed; Notes: passage of ritual time.
  5. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: numerical modifier; Translation: forty; Notes: standard embalming period.
  6. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: days; Notes: plural form.
  7. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies mos; Translation: this; Notes: draws emphasis.
  8. quippe — Lemma: quippe; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: explanatory adverb; Translation: indeed; Notes: introduces reason.
  9. mos — Lemma: mos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: custom; Notes: refers to Egyptian embalming practice.
  10. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular imperfect active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: was; Notes: descriptive past.
  11. cadaverum — Lemma: cadaver; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: genitive of object; Translation: of bodies; Notes: refers to the deceased.
  12. conditorum — Lemma: condo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies cadaverum (understood as “of those embalming bodies”); Translation: of those embalming; Notes: technical term for embalming.
  13. flevitque — Lemma: fleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd singular perfect active indicative with enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and wept; Notes: national mourning.
  14. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Jacob.
  15. Ægyptus — Lemma: Aegyptus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Egypt; Notes: personified nation.
  16. septuaginta — Lemma: septuaginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: invariable; Function: numerical modifier; Translation: seventy; Notes: extended mourning period.
  17. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of duration; Translation: for days; Notes: indicates length of 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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