Genesis 16:16

Posted on January 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 16:16 Octoginta et sex annorum erat Abram quando peperit ei Agar Ismaelem.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Agar bore Ismael to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Octoginta eighty NUM.CARD.INDECL
2 et and CONJ
3 sex six NUM.CARD.INDECL
4 annorum of years GEN.PL.M
5 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
6 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
7 quando when CONJ.SUBORD
8 peperit bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
10 Agar Hagar NOM.SG.F.PROP.NOUN
11 Ismaelem Ishmael ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause: Octoginta et sex annorum erat Abram — a nominal clause describing Abraham’s age; Octoginta et sex annorum forms a genitival phrase “of eighty-six years,” functioning as a genitive of quality.
Subordinate Clause: quando peperit ei Agar Ismaelem — introduced by quando to mark time; peperit is the main verb; ei is the indirect object “to him”; Agar the subject; Ismaelem the direct object.

Morphology

  1. Octoginta — Lemma: octoginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal; Function: part of genitive phrase with “annorum”; Translation: “eighty”; Notes: Numerals above one hundred often indeclinable in Latin; here compounded with “sex.”
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins numerals; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple additive conjunction.
  3. sex — Lemma: sex; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal; Function: joined with “octoginta” to express total; Translation: “six”; Notes: Together with “octoginta” forms “eighty-six.”
  4. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure or quality with numerals; Translation: “of years”; Notes: Expresses Abraham’s age.
  5. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Imperfect used for past state or condition.
  6. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “erat”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: His name before divine change to Abraham.
  7. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Marks time of the main clause event.
  8. peperit — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “bore”; Notes: Indicates completed act of childbirth.
  9. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “peperit”; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as recipient of the child.
  10. Agar — Lemma: Agar; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “peperit”; Translation: “Hagar”; Notes: Egyptian handmaid who bore Ishmael.
  11. Ismaelem — Lemma: Ismael; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “peperit”; Translation: “Ishmael”; Notes: The son born to Abraham through Hagar.

 

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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