Genesis 9:26

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:26 Dixitque: Benedictus Dominus Deus Sem, sit Chanaan servus eius.

And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Sem; and let Chanaan be his servant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + ENCLITIC
2 Benedictus blessed ADJ.NOM.SG.M
3 Dominus LORD N.NOM.SG.M
4 Deus God N.NOM.SG.M
5 Sem Shem N.GEN.SG.M
6 sit let be 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
7 Chanaan Canaan N.NOM.SG.M
8 servus servant N.NOM.SG.M
9 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Speech Introduction: Dixitque — resumes direct speech, continuing Noah’s prophetic utterance.
Blessing Clause: Benedictus Dominus Deus Sem — predicate adjective “blessed” with subject “the LORD God of Shem,” expressing a doxology rather than a wish.
Optative Clause: sit Chanaan servus eius — subjunctive expressing desire or decree, “let Canaan be his servant.”
Word Order: The genitive Sem after Deus identifies YHWH as the personal God of Shem; the final clause parallels the preceding curse, reinforcing divine hierarchy.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + que; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Introduces continuation of Noah’s words; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Links sequential blessings and curses.
  2. Benedictus — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: Adjective (verbal, perfect passive participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “blessed”; Notes: Marks praise and acknowledgment of divine favor.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Benedictus; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the covenantal God.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Appositive to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Adds theological precision: YHWH as Shem’s deity.
  5. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying Deus; Translation: “of Shem”; Notes: Denotes covenantal relationship, foretelling divine election.
  6. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb in optative clause; Translation: “let be”; Notes: Expresses wish or decree.
  7. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of sit; Translation: “Canaan”; Notes: Object of the continuing curse, linked to servitude.
  8. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Expresses condition of subordination to Shem’s descendants.
  9. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies servus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Shem, showing relational hierarchy under divine blessing.

 

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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