Genesis 15:5

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:5 Eduxitque eum foras, et ait illi: Suscipe cælum, et numera stellas, si potes. Et dixit ei: Sic erit semen tuum.

And He brought him outside and said to him: “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able.” And He said to him: “So shall your offspring be.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Eduxitque and brought out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON
3 foras outside ADV
4 et and CONJ
5 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 illi to him DAT.SG.M PRON
7 Suscipe look up / lift up 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
8 cælum heaven / sky ACC.SG.N
9 et and CONJ
10 numera count 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
11 stellas stars ACC.PL.F
12 si if CONJ
13 potes you are able 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
14 Et and CONJ
15 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 ei to him DAT.SG.M PRON
17 Sic so / thus ADV
18 erit will be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
19 semen offspring / seed NOM.SG.N
20 tuum your NOM.SG.N POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Eduxitque eum foras — periphrastic description of divine action; eum as the object and foras adverbially expressing direction (“outside”).
Main Clause 2: et ait illi — introduces direct divine speech; illi functions as dative of indirect address (“to him”).
Imperative Commands: Suscipe cælum et numera stellas — two parallel imperatives; God instructs Abram to perform an impossible count as a visual promise of abundance.
Conditional Clause: si potes — introduces challenge, conditional on human limitation.
Divine Declaration: Et dixit ei: Sic erit semen tuum — promise clause; adverb Sic signals comparison (“thus shall it be”), connecting vision to covenant assurance.

Morphology

  1. Eduxitque — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and brought out”; Notes: Describes YHWH’s action of leading Abram physically outside to illustrate His promise.
  2. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abram, recipient of divine revelation.
  3. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Indicates direction outward; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Spatially shifts setting from tent to open heavens.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential divine actions.
  5. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common Vulgate verb for divine or prophetic utterance.
  6. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Marks recipient of divine address.
  7. Suscipe — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “lift up / look toward”; Notes: Imperative of divine invitation to contemplate creation.
  8. cælum — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of suscipe; Translation: “heaven / sky”; Notes: Symbolic of divine realm and infinite creation.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links two imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates the visual and numerical tasks.
  10. numera — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “count”; Notes: Literal challenge emphasizing human limitation compared to divine promise.
  11. stellas — Lemma: stella; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of numera; Translation: “stars”; Notes: Serves as metaphor for Abram’s countless descendants.
  12. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces condition; Translation: “if”; Notes: Creates hypothetical scenario, highlighting impossibility of task.
  13. potes — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main verb of condition; Translation: “you are able”; Notes: Rhetorical in nature — invites reflection on divine omnipotence.
  14. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects subsequent divine statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: Transitions to promise declaration.
  15. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Repeated formula marking emphasis in divine communication.
  16. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Again specifies Abram as recipient of divine speech.
  17. Sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Comparative adverb; Translation: “thus / so”; Notes: Introduces the symbolic equation between stars and descendants.
  18. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “will be”; Notes: Prophetic future guaranteeing fulfillment of promise.
  19. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of erit; Translation: “offspring / seed”; Notes: Covenant term referring to Abram’s posterity — physical and spiritual.
  20. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Modifies semen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Marks personal covenant connection between Abram and his descendants.

 

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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