Genesis 26:4

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 26:4 Et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli: daboque posteris tuis universas regiones has: et BENEDICENTUR in semine tuo omnes gentes terræ,

And I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven; and I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 multiplicabo I will multiply 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 semen offspring NOUN.ACC.SG.N
4 tuum your PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.N
5 sicut as / like CONJ
6 stellas stars NOUN.ACC.PL.F
7 cæli of heaven NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 daboque and I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 posteris to descendants NOUN.DAT.PL.M
10 tuis your PRON.POSS.DAT.PL.M
11 universas all ADJ.ACC.PL.F
12 regiones lands / regions NOUN.ACC.PL.F
13 has these PRON.DEM.ACC.PL.F
14 et and CONJ
15 BENEDICENTUR they shall be blessed 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 semine in offspring NOUN.ABL.SG.N
18 tuo your PRON.POSS.ABL.SG.N
19 omnes all ADJ.NOM.PL.F
20 gentes nations NOUN.NOM.PL.F
21 terræ of the earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli — the LORD promises to multiply Isaac’s offspring, compared to the multitude of the stars.
Main Clause 2: daboque posteris tuis universas regiones has — another divine assurance of granting territorial inheritance to Isaac’s descendants.
Main Clause 3: et BENEDICENTUR in semine tuo omnes gentes terræ — a prophetic passive: “and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” expressing a universal covenantal scope.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links divine promises; Translation: “and.”
  2. multiplicabo — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will multiply”; Notes: Expresses divine creative action.
  3. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers collectively to Isaac’s descendants.
  4. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semen”; Translation: “your.”
  5. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as.”
  6. stellas — Lemma: stella; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of comparison; Translation: “stars.”
  7. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of heaven.”
  8. daboque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb (+ enclitic -que); Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “and I will give.”
  9. posteris — Lemma: posterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to descendants.”
  10. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies “posteris”; Translation: “your.”
  11. universas — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “regiones”; Translation: “all.”
  12. regiones — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “regions.”
  13. has — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “regiones”; Translation: “these.”
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links to final clause; Translation: “and.”
  15. BENEDICENTUR — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative 3rd person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they shall be blessed”; Notes: Passive form denoting the nations as recipients of divine favor.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates means or sphere; Translation: “in.”
  17. semine — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “in offspring.”
  18. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semine”; Translation: “your.”
  19. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: modifies “gentes”; Translation: “all.”
  20. gentes — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “BENEDICENTUR”; Translation: “nations.”
  21. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: “of the earth.”

 

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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