Genesis 15:14

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:14 Verumtamen gentem, cui servituri sunt, ego iudicabo: et post hæc egredientur cum magna substantia.

But the nation whom they shall serve I will judge, and after this they shall come out with great substance.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Verumtamen but / nevertheless ADV
2 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
3 cui whom / to whom DAT.SG.F REL.PRON
4 servituri about to serve NOM.PL.M FUT.ACT.PTCP
5 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
6 ego I NOM.SG.PRON
7 iudicabo I will judge 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 et and CONJ
9 post after PREP+ACC
10 hæc these things ACC.PL.N DEM.PRON
11 egredientur they shall come out 3PL.FUT.DEP.IND
12 cum with PREP+ABL
13 magna great ABL.SG.F ADJ
14 substantia substance / wealth ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Verumtamen gentem, cui servituri sunt, ego iudicabo — main statement introduced by adversative adverb *verumtamen* (“but indeed”); the relative clause cui servituri sunt modifies gentem (“the nation whom they shall serve”); ego is emphatic subject of iudicabo.
Main Clause 2: et post hæc egredientur cum magna substantia — coordinated by et, expresses the deliverance of Abram’s descendants; post hæc (“after these things”) situates the event after judgment; egredientur is deponent and future in form, governing cum magna substantia (ablative of accompaniment).

Morphology

  1. Verumtamen — Lemma: verumtamen; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adversative marker; Translation: “but / nevertheless”; Notes: Strengthens contrast between predicted servitude and subsequent divine judgment.
  2. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of iudicabo; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Refers to Egypt, oppressing power in prophetic vision.
  3. cui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Indirect object within relative clause; Translation: “whom / to whom”; Notes: Refers back to gentem, introducing clause of subordination.
  4. servituri — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative plural masculine, future active participle; Function: Predicate complement with sunt; Translation: “about to serve”; Notes: Indicates future action relative to the main verb—Abram’s descendants will serve that nation.
  5. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Auxiliary verb forming periphrastic future; Translation: “are”; Notes: Joins with servituri to indicate “will serve.”
  6. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject of iudicabo; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expresses divine self-reference, emphasizing YHWH’s role as just judge.
  7. iudicabo — Lemma: iudico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will judge”; Notes: Declares divine retribution on Egypt after the oppression.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine judgment to the subsequent deliverance.
  9. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Temporal preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Introduces the time following divine judgment.
  10. hæc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of post; Translation: “these things”; Notes: Refers to the events of judgment just foretold.
  11. egredientur — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Future indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “they shall come out”; Notes: Predicts the Exodus from Egypt; deponent form conveys reflexive nuance (“go forth”).
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces phrase describing condition of departure.
  13. magna — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies substantia; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes abundance of wealth upon departure.
  14. substantia — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “substance / wealth”; Notes: Refers to material possessions gained by divine favor in the Exodus, symbolizing reward for endurance.

 

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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