Genesis 15:3

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:3 Addiditque Abram: Mihi autem non dedisti semen: et ecce vernaculus meus, heres meus erit.

And Abram added: “But to me you have not given offspring, and behold, my servant born in my house shall be my heir.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Addiditque and added 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
3 Mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
4 autem but / however CONJ/ADV
5 non not ADV
6 dedisti you have given 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 semen offspring / seed ACC.SG.N
8 et and CONJ
9 ecce behold INTERJ
10 vernaculus servant born in the house NOM.SG.M
11 meus my NOM.SG.M POSS.ADJ
12 heres heir NOM.SG.M
13 meus my NOM.SG.M POSS.ADJ
14 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Addiditque Abram — perfect indicative, “and Abram added,” continuing the dialogue begun in the previous verse.
Subordinate Clause: Mihi autem non dedisti semen — dative of possession with mihi, expressing complaint, “to me you have not given offspring.”
Exclamatory Clause: et ecce vernaculus meus, heres meus erit — an independent declarative introduced by ecce, meaning “behold, my servant born in my house shall be my heir.”
The double use of meus emphasizes Abram’s intimate awareness of his household situation.

Morphology

  1. Addiditque — Lemma: addo; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “and added”; Notes: Indicates continuation of Abram’s dialogue with God, linking sequential speech acts.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Identifies the speaker continuing his conversation with the LORD.
  3. Mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Dative of possession; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Expresses personal relationship and emotional tone of the complaint.
  4. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adversative connector; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Contrasts Abram’s expectation with divine action.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates dedisti, intensifying the lament.
  6. dedisti — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you have given”; Notes: Refers to God’s past (non-)action in relation to promise fulfillment.
  7. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of dedisti; Translation: “offspring / seed”; Notes: Key covenantal term denoting lineage and descendants.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the lament with the exclamation.
  9. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: Interjection; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces new circumstance; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Calls divine attention to Abram’s household situation.
  10. vernaculus — Lemma: vernaculus; Part of Speech: Noun/adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “servant born in the house”; Notes: Refers to a slave born within Abram’s household, not purchased.
  11. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies vernaculus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes Abram’s ownership and relationship to the servant.
  12. heres — Lemma: heres; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “heir”; Notes: Central noun expressing inheritance expectation.
  13. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies heres; Translation: “my”; Notes: Repetition intensifies Abram’s sense of irony—his servant as heir.
  14. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “will be”; Notes: Predictive statement of circumstance if divine promise remains unfulfilled.

 

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.