Genesis 12:2

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:2 Faciamque te in gentem magnam, et benedicam tibi, et magnificabo nomen tuum, erisque benedictus.

And I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will magnify your name, and you will be blessed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Faciamque and I will make 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 te you PRON.ACC.SG.2
3 in into PREP+ACC
4 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
5 magnam great ADJ.ACC.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 benedicam I will bless 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 tibi to you PRON.DAT.SG.2
9 et and CONJ
10 magnificabo I will magnify 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 nomen name ACC.SG.N
12 tuum your ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.N
13 erisque and you will be 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
14 benedictus blessed PPP.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Faciamque te in gentem magnam — verb faciam (future) with object te and predicate accusative phrase in gentem magnam (“into a great nation”).
Main Clause 2: et benedicam tibi — coordination expressing divine favor; tibi serves as dative of advantage.
Main Clause 3: et magnificabo nomen tuum — verb magnificabo with object nomen tuum (“your name”); parallelism with preceding blessings.
Final Clause: erisque benedictus — future copular phrase; eris + predicate adjective benedictus completes the promise of divine status.

Morphology

  1. Faciamque — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular + enclitic “-que”; Function: Main verb of first clause; Translation: “and I will make”; Notes: The enclitic joins this action to the subsequent blessing verbs, expressing unity of divine intention.
  2. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular (2nd person); Function: Direct object of faciam; Translation: “you”; Notes: Abram is the recipient of divine transformation.
  3. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative (motion toward); Function: Introduces predicate complement; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks the resultant state following divine action.
  4. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Represents Abram’s future community of descendants.
  5. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies gentem; Translation: “great”; Notes: Qualifies the scope and importance of the nation promised.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links subsequent blessing clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Serves as connective between divine actions.
  7. benedicam — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will bless”; Notes: Expresses divine favor toward Abram’s person and posterity.
  8. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Personal pronoun; Form: Dative singular (2nd person); Function: Indirect object of benedicam; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Marks Abram as the recipient of blessing.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects third divine act; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues sequential listing of promises.
  10. magnificabo — Lemma: magnifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will magnify”; Notes: Denotes enhancement of Abram’s reputation and honor.
  11. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of magnificabo; Translation: “name”; Notes: Symbolizes fame or renown.
  12. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies nomen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agreement in case, number, and gender with nomen.
  13. erisque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 2nd person singular + enclitic “-que”; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and you will be”; Notes: Introduces concluding consequence of divine blessing.
  14. benedictus — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle, passive form); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate complement with eris; Translation: “blessed”; Notes: Expresses completed state of divine favor, culmination of preceding promises.

 

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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