Genesis 22:18

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:18 et BENEDICENTUR in semine tuo omnes gentes terræ, quia obedisti voci meæ.

And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 benedicentur shall be blessed 3PL.FUT.PASS.IND
3 in in PREP+ABL
4 semine offspring ABL.SG.N
5 tuo your ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.N
6 omnes all ADJ.NOM.PL.F
7 gentes nations NOM.PL.F
8 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F
9 quia because CONJ
10 obedisti you have obeyed 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 voci voice DAT.SG.F
12 meæ my ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: et benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes terræ — passive construction with benedicentur as the main verb, omnes gentes terræ as the subject, and in semine tuo as the instrumental phrase indicating means of blessing (“in your offspring”).
Causal Clause: quia obedisti voci meæ — explains the reason for the blessing; obedisti is the verb with voci meæ as the dative complement (“to my voice”).
Structure Overview: The verse expresses divine reciprocity: Abraham’s obedience (quia obedisti) leads to universal blessing through his descendants.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links this promise to the previous; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the divine declaration of blessing.
  2. benedicentur — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative passive third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall be blessed”; Notes: Passive form denotes divine bestowal of blessing upon nations.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates means or instrument; Translation: “in / through”; Notes: Expresses channel of divine action through Abraham’s lineage.
  4. semine — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of preposition in; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers collectively to Abraham’s descendants as covenantal agents.
  5. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: modifies semine; Translation: “your”; Notes: Possessive reference to Abraham.
  6. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative feminine plural; Function: modifies gentes; Translation: “all”; Notes: Indicates universal scope of the blessing.
  7. gentes — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine plural; Function: subject of benedicentur; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Represents all peoples of the world.
  8. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive feminine singular; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Qualifies gentes as all earthly nations.
  9. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains divine rationale for blessing.
  10. obedisti — Lemma: obedio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb in causal clause; Translation: “you have obeyed”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed act of obedience (the offering of Isaac).
  11. voci — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative feminine singular; Function: indirect object of obedisti; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Dative after verbs of obedience or listening.
  12. meæ — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative feminine singular; Function: modifies voci; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates personal relationship and divine authority.

 

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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