Genesis 12:13

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:13 Dic ergo, obsecro te, quod soror mea sis: ut bene sit mihi propter te, et vivat anima mea ob gratiam tui.

Therefore, I beg you, say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my life may be spared for your sake.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dic say 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 obsecro I beg / I beseech 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 te you PRON.ACC.SG.2
5 quod that CONJ
6 soror sister NOM.SG.F
7 mea my ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.F
8 sis you are 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
9 ut so that CONJ.PURP
10 bene well ADV
11 sit it may be 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
12 mihi to me PRON.DAT.SG.1
13 propter because of PREP+ACC
14 te you PRON.ACC.SG.2
15 et and CONJ
16 vivat may live 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
17 anima soul / life NOM.SG.F
18 mea my ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.F
19 ob on account of PREP+ACC
20 gratiam favor / grace ACC.SG.F
21 tui of you PRON.GEN.SG.2

Syntax

Main Clause: Dic ergo, obsecro te — Dic is a direct imperative; obsecro te forms a parenthetical plea (“I beg you”).
Subordinate Clause (Indirect Speech): quod soror mea sis — quod introduces the content of Abram’s request; sis is subjunctive because the speech is indirect.
Purpose Clause 1: ut bene sit mihi propter te — expresses the intended outcome (“that it may go well with me”).
Purpose Clause 2: et vivat anima mea ob gratiam tui — coordinate clause with et; vivat (subjunctive) expresses second intended result: “and my life may live because of your favor.”

Morphology

  1. Dic — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Direct command; Translation: “say”; Notes: Abram’s immediate plea to Sarai.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional adverb; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Logical connector summarizing prior reasoning.
  3. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Parenthetical expression; Translation: “I beg”; Notes: Emotional appeal softening the imperative.
  4. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Direct object of obsecro; Translation: “you”; Notes: Expresses direct personal address to Sarai.
  5. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces indirect statement; Translation: “that”; Notes: Used instead of infinitive clause after verbs of speaking.
  6. soror — Lemma: soror; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “sister”; Notes: Predicate complement identifying the subject in indirect discourse.
  7. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies soror; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reflects Abram’s deceptive claim of kinship.
  8. sis — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Subjunctive in indirect statement after quod.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Subjunctive verb follows.
  10. bene — Lemma: bene; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverbial modifier; Translation: “well”; Notes: Qualifies sit.
  11. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “it may be”; Notes: Expresses desired favorable condition.
  12. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Dative of advantage; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Refers to Abram, beneficiary of the hoped-for outcome.
  13. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Causal preposition; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Denotes cause or reason.
  14. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Object of propter; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Sarai, the cause of Abram’s hoped favor.
  15. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects parallel purpose clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links desired welfare and preservation.
  16. vivat — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate purpose clause; Translation: “may live”; Notes: Expresses desired continuation of life.
  17. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of vivat; Translation: “life / soul”; Notes: Represents Abram’s life, often personified in biblical Latin.
  18. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies anima; Translation: “my”; Notes: Highlights personal concern for survival.
  19. ob — Lemma: ob; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Causal; Translation: “on account of / because of”; Notes: Introduces reason for Abram’s safety.
  20. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ob; Translation: “favor / grace”; Notes: Denotes the goodwill or beauty of Sarai that would bring Abram protection.
  21. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular; Function: Possessive genitive modifying gratiam; Translation: “of you”; Notes: Indicates that the favor or grace belongs to Sarai herself.

 

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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