Genesis 22:20

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

20 His ita gestis, nunciatum est Abrahæ quod Melcha quoque genuisset filios Nachor fratri suo,

After these things had happened, it was announced to Abraham that Melcha also had borne sons to Nachor his brother,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 His these ABL.PL.N
2 ita thus ADV
3 gestis things done ABL.PL.N
4 nunciatum it was announced NOM.SG.N PERF.PASS.PTCP (used impersonally)
5 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
6 Abrahæ to Abraham DAT.SG.M
7 quod that CONJ
8 Melcha Milcah NOM.SG.F
9 quoque also ADV
10 genuisset had borne 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
11 filios sons ACC.PL.M
12 Nachor Nahor DAT.SG.M
13 fratri brother DAT.SG.M
14 suo his ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: His ita gestis — literally “with these things having been done thus,” functions temporally as “after these things had happened.”
Main Clause: nunciatum est Abrahæ — impersonal perfect passive form meaning “it was announced to Abraham,” with Abrahæ as the dative of person affected.
Object Clause: quod Melcha quoque genuisset filios Nachor fratri suo — subordinate clause introduced by quod functioning as the content of the announcement; Melcha as subject, genuisset as verb in the pluperfect subjunctive (dependent on indirect discourse), and filios Nachor fratri suo as object and indirect object phrase (“sons to Nahor, her husband”).
Word Order: Classical Latin places emphasis at the beginning and end — His ita gestis (temporal frame) and Nachor fratri suo (focus on family lineage).

Morphology

  1. His — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative neuter plural; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to previous events involving Abraham and Isaac.
  2. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies gestis; Translation: “thus / in this way”; Notes: Emphasizes the completion of prior actions.
  3. gestis — Lemma: gero; Part of Speech: participle (from verb); Form: ablative neuter plural perfect passive participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “things done”; Notes: From phrase “gero res,” meaning “to carry out actions.”
  4. nunciatum — Lemma: nuntio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative neuter singular perfect passive participle; Function: impersonal verb form; Translation: “it was announced”; Notes: Neuter singular used impersonally with est.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: auxiliary completing passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms perfect passive with nuntiatum.
  6. Abrahæ — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: dative of the person informed; Translation: “to Abraham”; Notes: Recipient of the message.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: “that”; Notes: Marks content of report.
  8. Melcha — Lemma: Melcha; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of genuisset; Translation: “Milcah”; Notes: Wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
  9. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates inclusion of additional detail.
  10. genuisset — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause in indirect discourse; Translation: “had borne”; Notes: Subjunctive mood reflects reported speech or thought.
  11. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine plural; Function: direct object of genuisset; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to the offspring of Nahor and Milcah.
  12. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: indirect object of genuisset; Translation: “to Nahor”; Notes: Abraham’s brother; father of Bethuel.
  13. fratri — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: apposition to Nachor; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Clarifies relationship to Abraham.
  14. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies fratri; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Abraham (his brother).

 

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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