Genesis 15:6

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:6 Credidit Abram Deo, et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam.

And Abram believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Credidit believed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
3 Deo to God DAT.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 reputatum reckoned / considered NOM.SG.N PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 illi to him DAT.SG.M PRON
8 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
9 iustitiam righteousness ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Credidit Abram Deo — expresses Abram’s faith; Deo is dative of the person believed, a construction typical of Latin for verbs of trusting or believing.
Main Clause 2: et reputatum est illi ad iustitiam — passive construction meaning “it was reckoned to him as righteousness”; illi is dative of reference, and ad iustitiam expresses result or purpose (“unto righteousness”).
The structure balances faith and divine approval as corresponding acts.

Morphology

  1. Credidit — Lemma: credo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “believed”; Notes: Denotes complete act of faith; governs the dative Deo.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Patriarch identified as exemplar of faith.
  3. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Dative of indirect object; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Indicates the one in whom faith is placed.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two coordinated clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links faith and divine reckoning.
  5. reputatum — Lemma: reputo; Part of Speech: Verb (used passively); Form: Nominative singular neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: Subject of periphrastic construction; Translation: “reckoned”; Notes: Expresses divine estimation or accounting of righteousness.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary verb completing passive phrase; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms periphrastic passive “was reckoned.”
  7. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks the recipient of divine justification.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses relation or purpose; Translation: “unto / as”; Notes: Indicates result of divine reckoning — “unto righteousness.”
  9. iustitiam — Lemma: iustitia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “righteousness”; Notes: Represents divine moral standing imputed to Abram by faith.

 

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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