Genesis 17:20

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:20 Super Ismael quoque exaudivi te. ecce, benedicam ei, et augebo, et multiplicabo eum valde: duodecim duces generabit, et faciam illum in gentem magnam.

And concerning Ismael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him, and I will increase and multiply him greatly; he shall beget twelve chiefs, and I will make him into a great nation.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Super concerning / over PREP+ACC
2 Ismael Ishmael ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
3 quoque also ADV
4 exaudivi I have heard 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 te you ACC.SG.PRON
6 ecce behold INTERJ
7 benedicam I will bless 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 ei him DAT.SG.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 augebo I will increase 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 et and CONJ
12 multiplicabo I will multiply 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
14 valde greatly ADV
15 duodecim twelve NUM.CARD
16 duces chiefs / leaders ACC.PL.M
17 generabit he shall beget 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 et and CONJ
19 faciam I will make 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 illum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
21 in into PREP+ACC
22 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
23 magnam great ACC.SG.F.ADJ

Syntax

Opening Clause: Super Ismael quoque exaudivi te — Super with accusative denotes “concerning”; Ismael is the object; quoque (“also”) marks inclusion; exaudivi (“I have heard”) is the perfect active indicative with te (“you”) as direct object — expressing divine response to Abraham’s plea.
Divine Declaration: ecce, benedicam ei — ecce introduces a pronouncement; benedicam is the main verb (“I will bless”) with ei as the dative of advantage (“him”).
Intensified Action: et augebo, et multiplicabo eum valde — successive futures denote increase and expansion; valde intensifies magnitude (“greatly”).
Result Clause: duodecim duces generabit — generabit is the main verb (“he shall beget”) with duodecim duces as object (“twelve chiefs”), signifying Ishmael’s lineage of tribal rulers.
Final Clause: et faciam illum in gentem magnam — faciam (“I will make”) expresses divine determination; illum is the object; in gentem magnam indicates transformation into “a great nation.”

Morphology

  1. Super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces topic or reference; Translation: “concerning / over”; Notes: Marks the subject of divine response, shifting focus to Ishmael.
  2. Ismael — Lemma: Ismael; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: “Ishmael”; Notes: Abraham’s firstborn son, here the focus of a secondary covenantal blessing.
  3. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Signifies addition to the promise given about Isaac.
  4. exaudivi — Lemma: exaudio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I have heard”; Notes: Indicates divine attention and favorable hearing of Abraham’s prayer.
  5. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of “exaudivi”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as the one whose intercession is accepted.
  6. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: draws attention to divine declaration; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Introduces solemn proclamation emphasizing immediacy.
  7. benedicam — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will bless”; Notes: Declares divine favor and prosperity.
  8. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “him”; Notes: Recipient of divine blessing, referring to Ishmael.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins sequential verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects divine actions of increase and multiplication.
  10. augebo — Lemma: augeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will increase”; Notes: Indicates promise of numerical and material expansion.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects further divine act; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continuation of cumulative blessings.
  12. multiplicabo — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will multiply”; Notes: Expresses superlative increase, paralleling covenantal language used for Isaac.
  13. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers again to Ishmael as the object of blessing.
  14. valde — Lemma: valde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies verbs of increase; Translation: “greatly”; Notes: Intensifies scope of divine promise.
  15. duodecim — Lemma: duodecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: “twelve”; Notes: Specifies the number of leaders descending from Ishmael.
  16. duces — Lemma: dux; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “generabit”; Translation: “chiefs / leaders”; Notes: Refers to Ishmael’s tribal rulers.
  17. generabit — Lemma: genero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he shall beget”; Notes: Predicts fruitfulness of Ishmael’s lineage.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects final clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins final promise to preceding lineage statement.
  19. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will make”; Notes: Indicates divine creative action to elevate Ishmael’s posterity.
  20. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “faciam”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers again to Ishmael as the beneficiary of transformation.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses result; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates change of state or identity.
  22. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Denotes collective identity arising from Ishmael’s descendants.
  23. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Characterizes Ishmael’s descendants as numerous and prosperous under divine providence.

 

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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