Genesis 15:13

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:13 Dictumque est ad eum: Scito prænoscens quod peregrinum futurum sit semen tuum in terra non sua, et subiicient eos servituti, et affligent quadringentis annis.

And it was said to him: “Know for certain that your offspring shall be a stranger in a land not their own, and they shall enslave them and afflict them for four hundred years.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dictumque and it was said NOM.SG.N PERF.PASS.PTCP + ENCL.CONJ
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON
5 Scito know 2SG.FUT.ACT.IMP
6 prænoscens knowing beforehand NOM.SG.M PRES.ACT.PTCP
7 quod that CONJ
8 peregrinum stranger / sojourner NOM.SG.N
9 futurum going to be NOM.SG.N FUT.ACT.PTCP
10 sit may be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 semen offspring / seed NOM.SG.N
12 tuum your NOM.SG.N POSS.ADJ
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 terra land ABL.SG.F
15 non not ADV
16 sua their own ABL.SG.F POSS.ADJ
17 et and CONJ
18 subiicient they shall subject 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
19 eos them ACC.PL.M PRON
20 servituti to slavery / servitude DAT.SG.F
21 et and CONJ
22 affligent they shall afflict 3PL.FUT.ACT.IND
23 quadringentis four hundred ABL.PL.NUM
24 annis years ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Dictumque est ad eum — impersonal passive construction (“and it was said to him”), introducing divine revelation to Abram.
Main Command: Scito prænoscens — imperative + participle conveying solemn certainty (“know for certain”); expresses divine foreknowledge granted to Abram.
Subordinate Clause: quod peregrinum futurum sit semen tuum… — subjunctive sit dependent on scito, expressing content of knowledge (“that your offspring shall be strangers”).
Coordinated Clauses: et subiicient eos servituti, et affligent quadringentis annis — future tense verbs describe twofold oppression (enslavement and affliction) over a defined period (“four hundred years”).
The passage forms the prophetic foundation for Israel’s enslavement in Egypt.

Morphology

  1. Dictumque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb (participle + enclitic); Form: Nominative singular neuter, perfect passive participle + -que; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “and it was said”; Notes: Common Vulgate formula introducing divine communication.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary verb completing the passive construction; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms periphrastic passive with dictum.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses direction toward; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces recipient of speech.
  4. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abram as receiver of divine oracle.
  5. Scito — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main imperative; Translation: “know”; Notes: Expresses emphatic command to internalize divine certainty.
  6. prænoscens — Lemma: prænōscō; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine, present active participle; Function: Adverbial modifier; Translation: “knowing beforehand”; Notes: Reinforces prophetic foreknowledge granted to Abram.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Marks dependent clause governed by scito.
  8. peregrinum — Lemma: peregrinus; Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively); Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “stranger / sojourner”; Notes: Symbolic of Israel’s alien status in Egypt.
  9. futurum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular neuter, future active participle; Function: With sit forms periphrastic future subjunctive; Translation: “will be / going to be”; Notes: Expresses prophetic futurity.
  10. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb in dependent clause; Translation: “may be”; Notes: Subjunctive reflects indirect discourse dependent on scito.
  11. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of sit; Translation: “offspring / seed”; Notes: Refers to Abram’s descendants collectively.
  12. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Modifies semen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates possession, “your offspring.”
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces foreign setting of exile.
  14. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to Egypt, the place of servitude.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates sua emphasizing alienation.
  16. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terra; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Marks lack of possession or homeland.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the two predictive outcomes: enslavement and affliction.
  18. subiicient — Lemma: subiicio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of first prediction; Translation: “they shall subject”; Notes: Foretells oppression by foreign rulers (Egyptians).
  19. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of subiicient; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Abram’s descendants (Israelites).
  20. servituti — Lemma: servitus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Dative of purpose; Translation: “to servitude”; Notes: Denotes state of slavery; aligns with Exodus narrative.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links verbs of double affliction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects enslavement with suffering.
  22. affligent — Lemma: affligo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Second predictive verb; Translation: “they shall afflict”; Notes: Signifies oppression through suffering and hardship.
  23. quadringentis — Lemma: quadringenti; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Ablative plural; Function: Ablative of time; Translation: “for four hundred”; Notes: Marks duration of affliction, approximating the 430-year sojourn (Exod 12:40).
  24. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Completes ablative of time expression; Translation: “years”; Notes: Duration of servitude specified as four centuries, emphasizing divine foresight.

 

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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