Genesis 12:1

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:1 Dixit autem Dominus ad Abram: Egredere de terra tua, et de cognatione tua, et de domo patris tui, et veni in terram, quam monstrabo tibi.

And the LORD said to Abram: “Go out from your land, and from your kindred, and from the house of your father, and come into the land that I will show you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / and CONJ.ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Abram Abram ACC.SG.M
6 Egredere go out 2SG.PRES.DEP.IMPER
7 de from PREP+ABL
8 terra land ABL.SG.F
9 tua your ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 de from PREP+ABL
12 cognatione kindred ABL.SG.F
13 tua your ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 de from PREP+ABL
16 domo house ABL.SG.F
17 patris of (your) father GEN.SG.M
18 tui your ADJ.POSS.GEN.SG.M
19 et and CONJ
20 veni come 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
21 in into PREP+ACC
22 terram land ACC.SG.F
23 quam which REL.PRON.ACC.SG.F
24 monstrabo I will show 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
25 tibi to you PRON.DAT.SG.2

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixit autem Dominus ad Abram — subject Dominus with perfect verb dixit, introducing direct speech.
Imperative Clauses: Egredere… and veni… — coordinate imperatives commanding departure and arrival; each governed by prepositional phrases defining origin and destination.
Relative Clause: quam monstrabo tibi — future indicative monstrabo modifies terram; relative pronoun quam functions as direct object of the verb.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main narrative verb introducing divine speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Perfect tense presents a completed speech act that frames the commands that follow.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional connective; Translation: “however/and”; Notes: Weak connective continuing the discourse from the preceding genealogy into the divine address.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun (proper, title); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of dixit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH; nominative subject governing the ensuing imperatives.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces addressee of the verb dixit.
  5. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (form indeclinable in Vulgate usage); Function: Object of preposition ad; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: The addressee of the LORD’s command.
  6. Egredere — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Present deponent imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “Go out”; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning; inaugurates the covenant journey.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Separation/source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Begins first of three coordinated separation phrases.
  8. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “land”; Notes: Physical homeland to be left.
  9. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terra; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agreement in gender/number/case with terra stresses personal detachment.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links parallel prepositional phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Creates triadic rhythm of renunciations.
  11. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Separation/source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces social/familial sphere to leave.
  12. cognatione — Lemma: cognatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “kindred”; Notes: Extended clan ties; emphasizes social detachment.
  13. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies cognatione; Translation: “your”; Notes: Maintains agreement with its head noun.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links the third separation phrase; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues parallel structure.
  15. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Separation/source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces the most intimate sphere of departure.
  16. domo — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “house(hold)”; Notes: Irregular noun; ablative ending -o is classical/late standard.
  17. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying domo; Translation: “of (your) father”; Notes: Marks the ancestral line left behind.
  18. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (pronominal); Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Genitive agrees with its head noun in case/number/gender.
  19. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links to the positive movement command; Translation: “and”; Notes: Shifts from separation to destination.
  20. veni — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “come”; Notes: Complements Egredere with a telic movement toward the promised land.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: With accusative (motion toward); Function: Marks destination; Translation: “into”; Notes: Contrasts with ablative after de (separation) earlier.
  22. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Destination of Abram’s journey.
  23. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of monstrabo, agreeing with terram; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause of future revelation.
  24. monstrabo — Lemma: monstro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “I will show”; Notes: Expresses divine promise of guidance.
  25. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative singular (2nd person); Function: Indirect object of monstrabo; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Personalizes the promise to Abram as the recipient.

 

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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