Genesis 15:7

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:7 Dixitque ad eum: Ego Dominus qui eduxi te de Ur Chaldæorum ut darem tibi terram istam, et possideres eam.

And He said to him: “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, in order that I might give you this land, and that you might possess it.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
3 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON
4 Ego I NOM.SG.1ST.PRON
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
7 eduxi I brought out 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 te you ACC.SG.2ND.PRON
9 de from PREP+ABL
10 Ur Ur ABL.SG.F INDECL.TOPONYM
11 Chaldæorum of the Chaldeans GEN.PL.M
12 ut so that / in order that CONJ
13 darem I might give 1SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
14 tibi to you DAT.SG.2ND.PRON
15 terram land ACC.SG.F
16 istam this ACC.SG.F DEM.ADJ
17 et and CONJ
18 possideres you might possess 2SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
19 eam it ACC.SG.F PRON

Syntax

Narrative Frame: Dixitque ad eum — formula introducing divine speech, with ad + accusative marking the addressee.
Divine Self-Identification: Ego Dominus qui eduxi te de Ur Chaldæorum — predicate nominative with relative clause; qui links title to salvific action (“who brought you out”).
Purpose Clause 1: ut darem tibi terram istam — ut + imperfect subjunctive expresses intended result: the gift of the land.
Purpose/Result Clause 2 (coordinated): et possideres eam — coordinated imperfect subjunctive stating the correlative purpose: Abram’s possession of the land.

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: Connects this utterance to the preceding discourse seamlessly.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks direction/recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Regular with verbs of speaking.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abram as addressee.
  4. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic divine self-presentation.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun/title; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative after elliptical “I am”; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH per translation rule.
  6. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Introduces relative clause modifying Dominus; Translation: “who”; Notes: Establishes identity by action.
  7. eduxi — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “I brought out”; Notes: Recalls salvific deliverance (“Exodus-type” motif) applied to Abram.
  8. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Direct object of eduxi; Translation: “you”; Notes: Personal beneficiary of deliverance.
  9. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Source/origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces point of departure.
  10. Ur — Lemma: Ur; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular (indeclinable); Function: Object of de; Translation: “Ur”; Notes: Mesopotamian city of Abram’s origin.
  11. Chaldæorum — Lemma: Chaldæus; Part of Speech: Noun (ethnic); Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of specification with place; Translation: “of the Chaldeans”; Notes: Locative qualifier of Ur.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose; Translation: “in order that”; Notes: Governs subjunctive verbs of intended outcome.
  13. darem — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: Verb of purpose; Translation: “I might give”; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive matches historical sequence with ut.
  14. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipient of the promised land.
  15. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of darem; Translation: “land”; Notes: The promised inheritance.
  16. istam — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terram; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic — land visibly indicated to Abram.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates purposes; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine gift and human possession.
  18. possideres — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: Coordinated purpose/result; Translation: “you might possess”; Notes: Correct form (not “possidere es”): expresses intended continuous/settled possession.
  19. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of possideres; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to terram istam, completing covenant intent.

 

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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