Genesis 21:10

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:10 Eiice ancillam hanc, et filium eius: non enim erit heres filius ancillæ cum filio meo Isaac.

“Cast out this servant woman and her son, for the son of the servant shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Eiice cast out 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 ancillam maidservant ACC.SG.F
3 hanc this ACC.SG.F.DEM.ADJ
4 et and CONJ
5 filium son ACC.SG.M
6 eius her GEN.SG.F.PRON
7 non not ADV
8 enim for CONJ
9 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 heres heir NOM.SG.M
11 filius son NOM.SG.M
12 ancillæ of the maidservant GEN.SG.F
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 filio son ABL.SG.M
15 meo my ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
16 Isaac Isaac ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Eiice ancillam hanc, et filium eius — An imperative command from Sara to Abraham. The direct objects ancillam and filium eius indicate the expulsion of both Hagar and Ishmael.
Main Clause 2: non enim erit heres filius ancillæ cum filio meo Isaac — Causal clause introduced by enim (“for”), explaining the reason: Ishmael cannot share inheritance with Isaac, the legitimate heir of the covenant. The prepositional phrase cum filio meo Isaac expresses contrast and exclusion.

Morphology

  1. Eiice — Lemma: eicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active, second person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “cast out”; Notes: Imperative directed by Sara to Abraham, expressing decisive rejection of Hagar and Ishmael.
  2. ancillam — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “eiice”; Translation: “maidservant”; Notes: Refers to Hagar, identified as the Egyptian servant of Sara.
  3. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “ancillam”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates immediacy and emotional intensity—Sara’s direct identification of Hagar.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins “ancillam” and “filium eius” as the objects of expulsion.
  5. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second direct object of “eiice”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Ishmael, the son of Hagar.
  6. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier of “filium”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Hagar, emphasizing maternal connection.
  7. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates “erit”; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks firm exclusion from inheritance.
  8. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: “for”; Notes: Connects Sara’s command with her rationale.
  9. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb of the explanatory clause; Translation: “will be”; Notes: Predicts Ishmael’s exclusion from inheritance rights.
  10. heres — Lemma: heres; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “heir”; Notes: Refers to one entitled to inheritance, here denied to Ishmael.
  11. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “erit”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Reiterates Ishmael as the excluded heir.
  12. ancillæ — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “filius”; Translation: “of the maidservant”; Notes: Emphasizes Ishmael’s maternal origin as a slave, contrasting with Isaac’s freeborn status.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Denotes comparison and exclusion between two sons.
  14. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, the legitimate heir.
  15. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “filio”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Sara’s rightful claim and emotional emphasis on Isaac’s legitimacy.
  16. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: appositive to “filio meo”; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Identifies the true heir of the covenant, distinguishing him from Ishmael in divine purpose.

 

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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