Genesis 27:28

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 27:28 Det tibi Deus de rore cæli, et de pinguedine terræ abundantiam frumenti et vini.

May God give you from the dew of heaven, and from the fatness of the earth, abundance of grain and wine.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Det may give 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
2 tibi to you DAT.SG.2ND.PRON
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 rore dew ABL.SG.M
6 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 pinguedine fatness / richness ABL.SG.F
10 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F
11 abundantiam abundance ACC.SG.F
12 frumenti of grain GEN.SG.N
13 et and CONJ
14 vini of wine GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Det tibi Deus — “May God give you.” The subjunctive det expresses a jussive or optative wish, typical of blessings. tibi is the dative of indirect object, recipient of divine favor.
Prepositional Phrases: de rore cæli — “from the dew of heaven” and de pinguedine terræ — “from the fatness of the earth” specify the sources of blessing, representing heaven’s moisture and earth’s fertility.
Object Phrase: abundantiam frumenti et vini — “abundance of grain and wine.” abundantiam is the direct object of det, while frumenti et vini are genitives of content explaining what the abundance consists of.

Morphology

  1. Det — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: jussive / optative verb; Translation: “may give”; Notes: Expresses a blessing or prayerful wish from Isaac to Jacob.
  2. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular 2nd person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: The recipient of divine favor and blessing.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “det”; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine agent of blessing; parallels Hebrew Elohim in Genesis 27:28.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces the material or source of blessing.
  5. rore — Lemma: ros; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “dew”; Notes: Symbol of divine refreshment and heavenly favor.
  6. cæli — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Denotes celestial origin of the dew.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates prepositional phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links heaven and earth as twin sources of prosperity.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Repeated to emphasize separate spheres—heaven and earth.
  9. pinguedine — Lemma: pinguedo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “fatness / richness”; Notes: A metaphor for fertility and abundance.
  10. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Complements “pinguedine” as the source of physical blessing.
  11. abundantiam — Lemma: abundantia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “det”; Translation: “abundance”; Notes: The tangible product of divine favor and fertility.
  12. frumenti — Lemma: frumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of content; Translation: “of grain”; Notes: Represents sustenance and agricultural blessing.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins items in a list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects “frumenti” and “vini” as twin fruits of prosperity.
  14. vini — Lemma: vinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of content; Translation: “of wine”; Notes: Symbol of joy, plenty, and divine blessing throughout Scripture.

 

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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