Genesis 15:2

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:2 Dixitque Abram: Domine Deus, quid dabis mihi? ego vadam absque liberis: et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer.

And Abram said: “Lord God, what will you give me? I go childless, and the son of the steward of my house is this Damascus Eliezer.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
3 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 quid what INTERROG.PRON ACC.SG.N
6 dabis will you give 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
7 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
8 ego I NOM.SG.1ST.PRON
9 vadam I go 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 absque without PREP+ABL
11 liberis children ABL.PL.M
12 et and CONJ
13 filius son NOM.SG.M
14 procuratoris of the steward GEN.SG.M
15 domus of the house GEN.SG.F
16 meæ my GEN.SG.F POSS.ADJ
17 iste this NOM.SG.M DEM.PRON
18 Damascus Damascus NOM.SG.M (INDECL. TOPONYM)
19 Eliezer Eliezer NOM.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR. NAME)

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Abram — narrative perfect with enclitic -que, “and Abram said.”
Vocative Address: Domine Deus — double title “Lord God,” combining reverence and covenantal recognition.
Interrogative Clause: quid dabis mihi? — direct question expressing uncertainty about the divine promise; quid as the direct object of dabis.
Independent Statement: ego vadam absque liberis — future indicative indicating Abram’s expectation of dying childless.
Appositive Clause: et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer — nominal clause defining who the potential heir is, “this Damascus Eliezer.”

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Common connective in biblical narrative linking sequential actions.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Patriarch and interlocutor of divine revelation.
  3. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Vocative singular masculine; Function: Direct address; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Indicates reverence and submission in prayer or speech to God.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Appositive; Translation: “God”; Notes: Identifies the addressed being as divine, reinforcing Domine.
  5. quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of dabis; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces Abram’s existential question.
  6. dabis — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main verb of the question; Translation: “will you give”; Notes: Expresses expectation of divine action.
  7. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Marks the recipient of divine favor.
  8. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphasized through position for contrast and emotion.
  9. vadam — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of the statement; Translation: “I go”; Notes: Figuratively implies “I depart” or “I die.”
  10. absque — Lemma: absque; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates privation or lack; Translation: “without”; Notes: Introduces a phrase of deprivation.
  11. liberis — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Object of absque; Translation: “children”; Notes: Denotes lack of offspring, central to Abram’s lament.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the main clause with a descriptive appositive.
  13. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “the son”; Notes: Introduces potential heir of Abram’s household.
  14. procuratoris — Lemma: procurator; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of the steward”; Notes: Indicates role of house manager or chief servant.
  15. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Complements procuratoris; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: Specifies the domain of stewardship.
  16. meæ — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Modifies domus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses possession and household relation.
  17. iste — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject complement; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic pronoun emphasizing proximity or disdain.
  18. Damascus — Lemma: Damascus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable toponym); Function: Appositive; Translation: “Damascus”; Notes: Geographic origin identifying Eliezer’s connection.
  19. Eliezer — Lemma: Eliezer; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject complement; Translation: “Eliezer”; Notes: Abram’s trusted servant, proposed heir in absence of offspring.

 

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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