Genesis 32:12

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 32:12 Tu locutus es quod benefaceres mihi, et dilatares semen meum sicut arenam maris, quæ præ multitudine numerari non potest.

You have spoken that you would do good to me, and would multiply my offspring like the sand of the sea, which for its multitude cannot be numbered.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tu you NOM.SG.PRON
2 locutus spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP.DEP
3 es you have 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 quod that CONJ
5 benefaceres you would do good 2SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
6 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 dilatares you would enlarge 2SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
9 semen offspring ACC.SG.N
10 meum my ACC.SG.N
11 sicut like/as SCONJ
12 arenam sand ACC.SG.F
13 maris of the sea GEN.SG.N
14 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL
15 præ because of PREP+ABL
16 multitudine multitude ABL.SG.F
17 numerari to be numbered PRES.PASS.INF
18 non not ADV
19 potest is able 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Tu locutus es — perfect deponent form with auxiliary es, meaning “you have spoken.”
Object Clause: quod benefaceres mihi, et dilatares semen meum — introduced by quod, forming indirect speech dependent on locutus es. Both verbs (benefaceres, dilatares) are imperfect subjunctives representing the divine promises.
Comparison Phrase: sicut arenam maris — simile comparing Jacob’s future descendants to “the sand of the sea.”
Relative Clause: quæ præ multitudine numerari non potest — introduced by quæ, referring to arena; præ multitudine expresses cause (“because of its multitude”); numerari non potest is a passive construction indicating impossibility.

Morphology

  1. Tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of locutus es; Translation: “you”; Notes: Explicit subject used for emphasis, referring to God directly.
  2. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of periphrastic perfect; Translation: “spoken”; Notes: Deponent participle combined with es forms perfect tense.
  3. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: 2nd person singular present indicative; Function: auxiliary with locutus; Translation: “you have”; Notes: Used with deponents to form perfect system.
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: “that”; Notes: Classical Latin would use accusative + infinitive, but Vulgate prefers quod + subjunctive.
  5. benefaceres — Lemma: benefacio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect statement; Translation: “you would do good”; Notes: Reflects the promise God gave Jacob.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient of divine favor.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins two subordinate verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects parallel clauses within divine speech.
  8. dilatares — Lemma: dilato; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular imperfect active subjunctive; Function: verb of indirect discourse; Translation: “you would enlarge”; Notes: Expresses covenantal promise of multiplication.
  9. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of dilatares; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Collective singular denoting descendants.
  10. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies semen; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s lineage in covenant context.
  11. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces simile; Translation: “like/as”; Notes: Common biblical comparison marker.
  12. arenam — Lemma: arena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of comparison; Translation: “sand”; Notes: Symbol of innumerable abundance.
  13. maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the sea”; Notes: Clarifies the image of shore sand.
  14. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of potest; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to arena in relative clause.
  15. præ — Lemma: præ; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: causal preposition; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Explains reason for inability to count.
  16. multitudine — Lemma: multitudo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of præ; Translation: “multitude”; Notes: Describes great quantity of sand.
  17. numerari — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with potest; Translation: “to be numbered”; Notes: Passive infinitive conveys potential impossibility.
  18. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates potest for total impossibility.
  19. potest — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular present active indicative; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “is able”; Notes: Expresses inability due to overwhelming multitude.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.