Genesis 21:19

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:19 Aperuitque oculos eius Deus: quæ videns puteum aquæ, abiit, et implevit utrem, deditque puero bibere.

And God opened her eyes; and seeing a well of water, she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy to drink.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Aperuitque and opened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
3 eius her GEN.SG.F.PRON
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 quæ who NOM.SG.F.REL.PRON
6 videns seeing NOM.SG.F.PRES.ACT.PART
7 puteum well ACC.SG.M
8 aquæ of water GEN.SG.F
9 abiit went 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 et and CONJ
11 implevit filled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 utrem wineskin / waterskin ACC.SG.M
13 deditque and gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
14 puero to the boy DAT.SG.M
15 bibere to drink PRES.ACT.INF

Syntax

Main Clause: Aperuitque oculos eius Deus — The conjunction -que connects this divine action to the previous command. Deus is the subject, oculos eius the object, expressing divine enlightenment—spiritual as well as literal.
Relative Clause: quæ videns puteum aquæ — The participial phrase describes Hagar’s immediate response to divine illumination.
Sequential Actions: abiit, et implevit utrem, deditque puero bibere — A triple perfect sequence narrates restoration: movement, provision, and nurturing. Each verb denotes decisive, life-sustaining action, reflecting faith rekindled through divine mercy.

Morphology

  1. Aperuitque — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and opened”; Notes: Indicates a miraculous act of revelation by God restoring perception and hope.
  2. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “aperuit”; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Symbolic of both physical sight and spiritual understanding.
  3. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Hagar, highlighting divine compassion directed toward her personally.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: The divine initiator of revelation and salvation.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of participle “videns”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Hagar as the one responding to God’s act.
  6. videns — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine, present active; Function: modifies “quæ”; Translation: “seeing”; Notes: Indicates perception immediately following divine intervention.
  7. puteum — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “videns”; Translation: “well”; Notes: Symbol of divine provision and life in the desert.
  8. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of content; Translation: “of water”; Notes: Specifies the type of well—source of life and renewal.
  9. abiit — Lemma: abeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: narrative verb; Translation: “went”; Notes: Marks her movement toward salvation after divine revelation.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links sequential actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Serves to chain the immediate acts of survival.
  11. implevit — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “filled”; Notes: Suggests readiness and maternal diligence in replenishing the waterskin.
  12. utrem — Lemma: uter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “implevit”; Translation: “waterskin”; Notes: Represents the restored means of life and preservation in the wilderness.
  13. deditque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: final verb of sequence; Translation: “and gave”; Notes: Concludes the triad of actions with the gift of water, completing divine-human cooperation.
  14. puero — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “dedit”; Translation: “to the boy”; Notes: Emphasizes maternal compassion and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Ishmael.
  15. bibere — Lemma: bibo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to drink”; Notes: Expresses purpose—Hagar’s act ensures her son’s survival, closing the divine intervention with renewal.

 

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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