Genesis 12:7

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:7 Apparuit autem Dominus Abram, et dixit ei: Semini tuo dabo terram hanc. Qui ædificavit ibi altare Domino, qui apparuerat ei.

And the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him: To your offspring I will give this land. And he built there an altar to the LORD who had appeared to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Apparuit appeared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / and CONJ.ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Abram Abram DAT.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.3
8 Semini to your offspring DAT.SG.N
9 tuo your ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.N
10 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 terram land ACC.SG.F
12 hanc this DEM.ADJ.ACC.SG.F
13 Qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
14 ædificavit built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 ibi there ADV
16 altare altar ACC.SG.N
17 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M
18 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
19 apparuerat had appeared 3SG.PLUP.ACT.IND
20 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.3

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Apparuit autem Dominus Abram — verb Apparuit governs dative Abram; Dominus is nominative subject; autem provides transition from prior narrative.
Clause 2: et dixit ei — coordinate action; dixit main verb, ei dative indirect object (“to him”).
Direct Speech Clause: Semini tuo dabo terram hanc — subject implied (first person, “I”); indirect object Semini tuo, direct object terram hanc.
Main Clause 3: Qui ædificavit ibi altare Domino — relative pronoun Qui refers back to Abram; ædificavit perfect verb with object altare; Domino dative of advantage.
Relative Clause: qui apparuerat ei — relative pronoun qui refers to the LORD; verb apparuerat pluperfect expressing prior divine manifestation.

Morphology

  1. Apparuit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “appeared”; Notes: Perfect tense describes completed divine manifestation.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional particle; Translation: “however / and”; Notes: Links this appearance to previous narrative.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Apparuit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as appearing deity.
  4. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of Apparuit; Translation: “to Abram”; Notes: Marks recipient of the vision.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links successive divine actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Common connective particle.
  6. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct divine promise.
  7. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular (3rd person); Function: Indirect object of dixit; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Recipient of divine communication.
  8. Semini — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular neuter; Function: Indirect object of dabo; Translation: “to (your) offspring”; Notes: Singular collective meaning “descendants.”
  9. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative singular neuter; Function: Modifies Semini; Translation: “your”; Notes: Agrees in case, number, and gender with Semini.
  10. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of promise; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Expresses future possession granted by divine will.
  11. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of dabo; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to promised territory of Canaan.
  12. hanc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terram; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates immediacy — the land before Abram’s eyes.
  13. Qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Refers to Abram; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause of action (“who built…”).
  14. ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “built”; Notes: Perfect tense—completed act of worship.
  15. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverbial modifier of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates the site of the altar.
  16. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of ædificavit; Translation: “altar”; Notes: Cultic object of sacrifice or worship.
  17. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of ædificavit; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Denotes dedication of altar to YHWH.
  18. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of apparuerat; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers back to the LORD as the one who appeared.
  19. apparuerat — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “had appeared”; Notes: Temporal relation: earlier manifestation to Abram prompted his worship.
  20. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular (3rd person); Function: Indirect object of apparuerat; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers again to Abram, completing the divine-human encounter.

 

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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