Genesis 9:27

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:27 Dilatet Deus Iapheth, et habitet in tabernaculis Sem, sitque Chanaan servus eius.

May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Sem, and let Chanaan be his servant.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dilatet may enlarge 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
2 Deus God N.NOM.SG.M
3 Iapheth Japheth N.ACC.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 habitet may dwell 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 tabernaculis tents N.ABL.PL.N
8 Sem Shem N.GEN.SG.M
9 sitque and let be 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT + ENCLITIC
10 Chanaan Canaan N.NOM.SG.M
11 servus servant N.NOM.SG.M
12 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Optative Main Clause 1: Dilatet Deus Iapheth — subjunctive of wish or prayer, “May God enlarge Japheth,” invoking divine favor.
Optative Main Clause 2: et habitet in tabernaculis Sem — continuation of blessing, “and may he dwell in the tents of Shem,” expressing peaceful coexistence and unity.
Optative Main Clause 3: sitque Chanaan servus eius — parallel curse, “and let Canaan be his servant,” reaffirming subordination.
Word Order: The triple parallel subjunctives (Dilatet, habitet, sitque) give rhythmic, prophetic tone. The genitive Sem functions as possessive within the prepositional phrase “in the tents of Shem.”

Morphology

  1. Dilatet — Lemma: dilato; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: Optative expressing wish; Translation: “may enlarge”; Notes: Subjunctive of blessing, invoking divine expansion of Japheth’s domain.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Dilatet; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the universal Creator, continuing covenantal context.
  3. Iapheth — Lemma: Iapheth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of Dilatet; Translation: “Japheth”; Notes: Name related to “expansion,” matching the verb’s meaning.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links subsequent blessings; Translation: “and.”
  5. habitet — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: Optative verb; Translation: “may dwell”; Notes: Expresses peaceful habitation and alliance under divine blessing.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in.”
  7. tabernaculis — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “tents”; Notes: Symbol of habitation and fellowship between descendants of Japheth and Shem.
  8. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying tabernaculis; Translation: “of Shem”; Notes: Indicates divine favor linked to Shem’s lineage.
  9. sitque — Lemma: sum + que; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: Continues optative series; Translation: “and let be”; Notes: Introduces further prophetic pronouncement.
  10. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of sit; Translation: “Canaan”; Notes: Continues theme of servitude from prior verse.
  11. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Denotes subjection under Japheth and Shem’s blessing.
  12. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies servus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers contextually to Japheth, the most immediate antecedent of 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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