Genesis 22:1

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:1 Quæ postquam gesta sunt, tentavit Deus Abraham, et dixit ad eum: Abraham, Abraham. At ille respondit: Adsum.

After these things were done, God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he answered, “Here I am.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quæ which REL.PRON.NOM.N.PL
2 postquam after CONJ
3 gesta things done PPP.NOM.N.PL
4 sunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 tentavit tested 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Deus God NOM.SG.M
7 Abraham Abraham ACC.SG.M
8 et and CONJ
9 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 ad to PREP+ACC
11 eum him PRON.3SG.M.ACC
12 Abraham Abraham VOC.SG.M
13 Abraham Abraham VOC.SG.M
14 At but CONJ
15 ille he PRON.NOM.SG.M
16 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 Adsum I am here 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Deus (subject) + tentavit (verb) + Abraham (object) — expresses the divine test.
Subordinate Clause: Quæ postquam gesta sunt — temporal clause modifying the main clause (“after these things were done”).
Direct Speech: Dixit ad eum introduces direct address, followed by vocative repetition Abraham, Abraham.
Response Clause: At ille respondit introduces Abraham’s reply, with Adsum as the direct speech meaning “I am present” or “Here I am.”

Morphology

  1. Quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative neuter plural; Function: subject of subordinate clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to previous events or deeds.
  2. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: “after”; Notes: Connects the previous events with the main action.
  3. gesta — Lemma: gero; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative neuter plural; Function: complement of sunt; Translation: “done”; Notes: Describes completed actions.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person plural; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: Auxiliary verb completing “gesta sunt.”
  5. tentavit — Lemma: tento; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “tested”; Notes: Indicates divine testing, not temptation.
  6. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: The one initiating the test.
  7. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object of tentavit; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Retains Hebrew form unchanged in Latin.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates two narrative clauses.
  9. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative verb introducing divine dialogue.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates direction or address.
  11. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of preposition ad; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham.
  12. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: address in direct speech; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes intimacy and urgency.
  13. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: second vocative for emphasis; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Reflects Semitic repetition for emphasis.
  14. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast or response; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks Abraham’s immediate reply.
  15. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: Demonstrative pronoun functioning as pronoun of reference.
  16. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb of response; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Common verb for reply in narrative.
  17. Adsum — Lemma: adsum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active first person singular; Function: direct speech; Translation: “I am here”; Notes: Expression of readiness and obedience.

 

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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