Genesis 22:8

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:8 Dixit autem Abraham: Deus providebit sibi victimam holocausti, fili mi. Pergebant ergo pariter:

But Abraham said: “God will provide for Himself the victim for the burnt offering, my son.” Therefore, they went on together;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but CONJ
3 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 providebit will provide 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 sibi for Himself PRON.DAT.SG.M
7 victimam victim ACC.SG.F
8 holocausti of the burnt offering GEN.SG.N
9 fili my son VOC.SG.M
10 mi my PRON.POSS.VOC.SG.M
11 Pergebant they went on 3PL.IMPF.ACT.IND
12 ergo therefore CONJ
13 pariter together ADV

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixit autem Abraham — introduces Abraham’s speech, contrasting with Isaac’s previous question through autem.
Direct Speech: Deus providebit sibi victimam holocausti — subject Deus, future verb providebit, and reflexive dative sibi indicating “for Himself”; victimam holocausti serves as the object phrase.
Vocative Address: fili mi — tender address to Isaac within direct speech.
Concluding Narrative: Pergebant ergo pariter — resumes narrative flow; ergo marks logical progression and pariter expresses unity of father and son.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse following a question.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective particle; Translation: “but”; Notes: Provides mild contrast or continuation.
  3. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Speaker of the statement.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of providebit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The one who ensures provision.
  5. providebit — Lemma: provideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb of statement; Translation: “will provide”; Notes: Expresses faith in divine foresight.
  6. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “for Himself”; Notes: Emphasizes divine self-sufficiency in provision.
  7. victimam — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object of providebit; Translation: “victim”; Notes: The object of divine provision.
  8. holocausti — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of the burnt offering”; Notes: Specifies the type of victim required.
  9. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: address; Translation: “my son”; Notes: A tender, reassuring form of address to Isaac.
  10. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: modifies fili; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses intimacy and compassion.
  11. Pergebant — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active third person plural; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “they went on”; Notes: Imperfect tense conveys continuity of motion.
  12. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: marks logical progression; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Connects divine assurance with subsequent obedience.
  13. pariter — Lemma: pariter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies pergebant; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes unity and harmony of father and son walking as one.

 

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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