Genesis 16:1

Posted on January 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 16:1 Igitur Sarai, uxor Abram, non genuerat liberos: sed habens ancillam Ægyptiam nomine Agar,

Therefore Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne no children; but she had an Egyptian handmaid named Agar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Igitur therefore ADV
2 Sarai Sarai NOM.SG.F PROPN
3 uxor wife NOM.SG.F
4 Abram Abram GEN.SG.M (INDECL. PROPN)
5 non not ADV
6 genuerat had borne 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
7 liberos children ACC.PL.M
8 sed but CONJ
9 habens having NOM.SG.F PRES.ACT.PTCP
10 ancillam maidservant ACC.SG.F
11 Ægyptiam Egyptian ACC.SG.F ADJ
12 nomine by name ABL.SG.N
13 Agar Hagar ABL.SG.F PROPN

Syntax

Main Clause: Sarai, uxor Abram, non genuerat liberos — the subject is Sarai modified by the appositive uxor Abram; the verb genuerat conveys past perfect action (“had borne”), and liberos serves as the direct object.
Participial Clause: sed habens ancillam Ægyptiam nomine Agar — introduces a concessive or contrasting clause (“but having an Egyptian handmaid”), functioning as a circumstantial participle modifying Sarai.
Phrase: nomine Agar — ablative of specification, “by name Hagar,” identifying the maidservant.

Morphology

  1. Igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces consequence or transition; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Serves as a connective adverb linking the preceding covenantal narrative to Sarai’s situation.
  2. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Abram’s wife, central to the narrative of divine promise and barrenness.
  3. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Appositive to Sarai; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Identifies marital relationship, emphasizing her role as spouse rather than mother.
  4. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: Hebrew proper name signifying “exalted father.”
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses total negation of childbirth up to this point.
  6. genuerat — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “had borne”; Notes: Pluperfect indicates past completed action before the present narrative, emphasizing duration of barrenness.
  7. liberos — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “children”; Notes: Generic for offspring, marking the unfulfilled covenant promise.
  8. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Opposes barrenness with possession of a servant, setting stage for ensuing narrative conflict.
  9. habens — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular feminine, present active participle; Function: Descriptive modifier of Sarai; Translation: “having”; Notes: Indicates continuous possession of the maidservant Hagar.
  10. ancillam — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of habens; Translation: “handmaid”; Notes: Common term for a female servant; crucial to the narrative’s forthcoming surrogate motif.
  11. Ægyptiam — Lemma: Ægyptius; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies ancillam; Translation: “Egyptian”; Notes: Identifies her origin, linking back to Abram’s sojourn in Egypt in Genesis 12.
  12. nomine — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Ablative of specification; Translation: “by name”; Notes: Latin idiom introducing personal names or titles.
  13. Agar — Lemma: Agar; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Specification of nomine; Translation: “Hagar”; Notes: Egyptian servant woman who becomes mother of Ishmael, embodying human attempt to fulfill divine promise.

 

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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