Genesis 15:9

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:9 Et respondens Dominus: Sume, inquit, mihi vaccam trienem, et capram trimam, et arietem annorum trium, turturem quoque, et columbam.

And the LORD, answering, said: “Take for Me a heifer three years old, and a goat three years old, and a ram of three years, also a turtledove and a pigeon.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 respondens answering NOM.SG.M PRES.ACT.PTCP
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Sume take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 mihi for me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
7 vaccam heifer ACC.SG.F
8 trienem three years old ACC.SG.F ADJ
9 et and CONJ
10 capram goat ACC.SG.F
11 trimam three years old ACC.SG.F ADJ
12 et and CONJ
13 arietem ram ACC.SG.M
14 annorum of years GEN.PL.M
15 trium three GEN.PL.NUM
16 turturem turtledove ACC.SG.M
17 quoque also ADV
18 et and CONJ
19 columbam pigeon ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Et respondens Dominus — nominative absolute introducing divine speech; respondens functions as a participial modifier (“the LORD answering”).
Direct Speech: Sume, inquit, mihi vaccam trienem… — imperative Sume governs the dative mihi as the benefactive object (“for Me”); a series of accusative nouns follow as the objects of command, forming a catalog of sacrificial animals.
Appositional Phrase: arietem annorum trium — genitive phrase “of three years” modifies arietem; turturem quoque et columbam completes the enumeration with smaller birds, typical in sacrificial contexts.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces new divine speech, linking it to the preceding dialogue.
  2. respondens — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine, present active participle; Function: Modifies Dominus; Translation: “answering”; Notes: Expresses simultaneous action; stylistically typical of Vulgate narrative.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun/title; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH; governs direct discourse. However, the Masoretic Text does not include the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) in this verse.
  4. Sume — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperative, 2nd person singular, present active; Function: Main command; Translation: “take”; Notes: Direct order introducing covenantal ritual preparation.
  5. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Parenthetic reporting verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Used in direct quotation insertions in classical and biblical Latin.
  6. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Dative of advantage; Translation: “for Me”; Notes: Marks divine beneficiary of sacrificial act.
  7. vaccam — Lemma: vacca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of Sume; Translation: “heifer”; Notes: Represents the first sacrificial animal.
  8. trienem — Lemma: triennis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Attribute of vaccam; Translation: “three years old”; Notes: Specifies age suitable for ritual sacrifice.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects elements of enumeration; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links successive sacrificial animals.
  10. capram — Lemma: capra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of Sume; Translation: “goat”; Notes: Second type of sacrifice for covenant ritual.
  11. trimam — Lemma: trima; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Attribute of capram; Translation: “three years old”; Notes: Parallel to trienem, maintaining ritual uniformity.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Joins final large animal; Translation: “and”; Notes: Signals final element of first group.
  13. arietem — Lemma: aries; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of Sume; Translation: “ram”; Notes: Common in sacrificial context, symbolizing strength.
  14. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Partitive genitive modifying trium; Translation: “of years”; Notes: Age descriptor within genitive phrase.
  15. trium — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Genitive plural; Function: Quantifier with annorum; Translation: “three”; Notes: Forms genitive of measure “of three years.”
  16. turturem — Lemma: turtur; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of Sume; Translation: “turtledove”; Notes: Bird species prescribed in sacrificial law (cf. Lev. 1:14).
  17. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds emphasis of inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Highlights inclusion of smaller offerings.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links final object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Final conjunction joining last bird.
  19. columbam — Lemma: columba; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of Sume; Translation: “pigeon”; Notes: Completes pair of bird offerings symbolizing peace and purity.

 

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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