Genesis 13:15

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:15 Omnem terram, quam conspicis, tibi dabo, et semini tuo usque in sempiternum.

All the land that you see, I will give to you and to your offspring forever.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Omnem all / every ACC.SG.F
2 terram land / earth ACC.SG.F
3 quam which REL.PRON.ACC.SG.F
4 conspicis you see / behold 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 tibi to you DAT.SG.PRON
6 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 et and CONJ
8 semini to offspring / seed DAT.SG.N
9 tuo your DAT.SG.N (POSS.ADJ.)
10 usque even to / until PREP
11 in into / unto PREP+ACC
12 sempiternum forever / everlasting ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: tibi dabo — future active indicative, “I will give to you.” The indirect object tibi expresses the beneficiary of the divine promise.
Object Clause: Omnem terram, quam conspicis — “all the land which you see,” with quam introducing a relative clause modifying terram.
Coordinated Object: et semini tuo — joins Abram’s descendants as co-recipients.
Prepositional Phrase: usque in sempiternum — an adverbial phrase of duration, “forever,” modifying dabo, emphasizing the eternal aspect of the covenant.

Morphology

  1. Omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terram; Translation: “all / every”; Notes: Denotes totality and inclusiveness of the promise.
  2. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of dabo; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the visible territory granted to Abram.
  3. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of conspicis; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause describing the land.
  4. conspicis — Lemma: conspicio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “you see / behold”; Notes: Implies perception and divine revelation rather than mere sight.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates Abram as the personal recipient of the covenantal gift.
  6. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Future tense underscores the certainty of divine promise yet to be fulfilled.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects co-recipients; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Abram and his offspring in the same covenantal blessing.
  8. semini — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular neuter; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to your offspring / seed”; Notes: Refers to Abram’s descendants as heirs of the same promise.
  9. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative singular neuter; Function: Modifies semini; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates possession, tying the inheritance directly to Abram’s lineage.
  10. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Preposition (or adverbial particle); Form: Indeclinable; Function: Emphasizes continuation; Translation: “even to / until”; Notes: Used intensively to denote unending extent.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Part of phrase with usque; Translation: “into / unto”; Notes: Introduces duration extending into eternity.
  12. sempiternum — Lemma: sempiternus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “forever / everlasting”; Notes: Expresses timeless, perpetual continuity of the divine covenant.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.