Genesis 49:25

Posted on February 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 49:25 Deus patris tui erit adiutor tuus, et omnipotens benedicet tibi benedictionibus cæli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi iacentis deorsum, benedictionibus uberum et vulvæ.

The God of your father will be your helper, and the Almighty will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, the blessings of the abyss lying below, the blessings of breasts and of the womb.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Deus God N.MASC.NOM.SG
2 patris of the father N.MASC.GEN.SG
3 tui your PRON.GEN.SG
4 erit will be V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 adiutor helper N.MASC.NOM.SG
6 tuus your PRON.NOM.SG.M
7 et and CONJ.COORD
8 omnipotens the Almighty ADJ.NOM.SG.M
9 benedicet will bless V.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 tibi you PRON.DAT.SG
11 benedictionibus with blessings N.FEM.ABL.PL
12 cæli of heaven N.MASC.GEN.SG
13 desuper from above ADV
14 benedictionibus with blessings N.FEM.ABL.PL
15 abyssi of the abyss N.FEM.GEN.SG
16 iacentis lying PRES.ACT.PTCP.GEN.SG.F
17 deorsum below ADV
18 benedictionibus with blessings N.FEM.ABL.PL
19 uberum of the breasts N.NEUT.GEN.PL
20 et and CONJ.COORD
21 vulvæ of the womb N.FEM.GEN.SG

Syntax

Main clause 1: Deus patris tui erit adiutor tuus —
Deus patris tui is the subject (“the God of your father”).
erit is the future verb.
adiutor tuus is the predicate nominative (“your helper”).

Main clause 2: et omnipotens benedicet tibi —
omnipotens functions as the subject (“the Almighty”).
benedicet is the future verb;
tibi the indirect object.

Series of ablatives of instrument/source:
benedictionibus cæli desuper (“with the blessings of heaven above”)
benedictionibus abyssi iacentis deorsum (“with the blessings of the abyss lying below”)
benedictionibus uberum et vulvæ (“with the blessings of the breasts and the womb”).

Morphology

  1. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: God; Notes: refers to the God worshipped by the patriarchs.
  2. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the father; Notes: modifies Deus.
  3. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: possessive; Translation: your; Notes: refers to Joseph.
  4. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will be; Notes: expresses divine promise.
  5. adiutor — Lemma: adiutor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: helper; Notes: conveys protection.
  6. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies adiutor; Translation: your; Notes: emphasizes personal care.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins clauses; Translation: and; Notes: coordination.
  8. omnipotens — Lemma: omnipotens; Part of Speech: adjective functioning as noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the Almighty; Notes: divine epithet.
  9. benedicet — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: will bless; Notes: foretells abundant favor.
  10. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: you; Notes: recipient of divine blessing.
  11. benedictionibus — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: instrument; Translation: with blessings; Notes: occurs three times, governing three genitives.
  12. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: descriptive genitive; Translation: of heaven; Notes: celestial source of blessing.
  13. desuper — Lemma: desuper; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: from above; Notes: adds spatial nuance.
  14. benedictionibus — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: instrument; Translation: with blessings; Notes: resumes parallel structure.
  15. abyssi — Lemma: abyssus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive modifying benedictionibus; Translation: of the abyss; Notes: subterranean waters.
  16. iacentis — Lemma: iaceo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies abyssi; Translation: lying; Notes: describes position of the abyss.
  17. deorsum — Lemma: deorsum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariant; Function: adverb; Translation: below; Notes: contrasts with desuper.
  18. benedictionibus — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: instrument; Translation: with blessings; Notes: begins the final blessing phrase.
  19. uberum — Lemma: uber; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: genitive modifying benedictionibus; Translation: of breasts; Notes: symbolizes nurture and fertility.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates nouns; Translation: and; Notes: simple connection.
  21. vulvæ — Lemma: vulva; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive with benedictionibus; Translation: of the womb; Notes: intensifies imagery of fertility.

 

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.