Genesis 16:2

Posted on January 16, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 16:2 dixit marito suo: Ecce, conclusit me Dominus, ne parerem: ingredere ad ancillam meam, si forte saltem ex illa suscipiam filios. Cumque ille acquiesceret deprecanti,

She said to her husband: “Behold, the LORD has closed me, so that I should not bear; go in to my handmaid, perhaps I may at least receive children from her.” And when he had consented to her request,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 marito to (her) husband DAT.SG.M
3 suo her DAT.SG.M POSS.ADJ
4 Ecce behold INTERJ
5 conclusit has closed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 me me ACC.SG.F PRON
7 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
8 ne lest / so that not CONJ
9 parerem I should bear 1SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
10 ingredere go in 2SG.PRES.IMPER.MID
11 ad to PREP+ACC
12 ancillam handmaid ACC.SG.F
13 meam my ACC.SG.F POSS.ADJ
14 si if CONJ
15 forte perhaps ADV
16 saltem at least ADV
17 ex from PREP+ABL
18 illa her ABL.SG.F DEM.PRON
19 suscipiam I may receive 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
20 filios children ACC.PL.M
21 Cumque and when CONJ
22 ille he NOM.SG.M DEM.PRON
23 acquiesceret had consented 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
24 deprecanti to her beseeching DAT.SG.F PRES.ACT.PTCP

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit marito suo — main narrative action; dixit as the verb of saying introduces direct discourse, with marito suo functioning as indirect object (“to her husband”).
Direct Speech: The quoted statement includes multiple subordinate structures:
• Ecce, conclusit me Dominus, ne parerem — causal explanation, with ne parerem expressing divine prevention (“so that I should not bear”).
• ingredere ad ancillam meam — direct imperative addressed to Abram (“go in to my handmaid”).
• si forte saltem ex illa suscipiam filios — potential clause expressing hope, with subjunctive suscipiam for possibility.
Subordinate Clause: Cumque ille acquiesceret deprecanti — temporal clause introduced by cumque (“and when”), describing Abram’s agreement with Sarai’s plea.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces speech; perfect tense denotes completed action prior to following clauses.
  2. marito — Lemma: maritus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to (her) husband”; Notes: Indicates the addressee of Sarai’s speech.
  3. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of marito; Translation: “her”; Notes: Reflexive adjective referencing the subject Sarai.
  4. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: Interjection; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Draws attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Used frequently to introduce divine or emotional statements.
  5. conclusit — Lemma: concludo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “has closed”; Notes: Figurative for barrenness — divine agency emphasized by Dominus.
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Direct object of conclusit; Translation: “me”; Notes: Highlights personal experience of divine restraint.
  7. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun (title); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of conclusit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Indicates divine causality over fertility.
  8. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces negative purpose clause; Translation: “lest / so that not”; Notes: Governs subjunctive parerem.
  9. parerem — Lemma: pario; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I should bear”; Notes: Expresses unrealized potential due to divine closure of the womb.
  10. ingredere — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Present imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “go in”; Notes: Euphemistic expression for sexual union in biblical context.
  11. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Connects with motion verb ingredere.
  12. ancillam — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “handmaid”; Notes: The designated surrogate Hagar.
  13. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Sarai’s ownership and authority over the servant.
  14. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Conditional of uncertain hope.
  15. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies suscipiam; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: Expresses doubt or fragile expectation.
  16. saltem — Lemma: saltem; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds concessive nuance; Translation: “at least”; Notes: Strengthens the conditional as a last hope.
  17. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks origin of offspring.
  18. illa — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of ex; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Hagar, the servant.
  19. suscipiam — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: Verb of potential clause; Translation: “I may receive”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses uncertain fulfillment of desire for offspring.
  20. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of suscipiam; Translation: “children”; Notes: Plural used generically for descendants or heirs.
  21. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links subsequent clause with narrative flow.
  22. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Abram.
  23. acquiesceret — Lemma: acquiesco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had consented”; Notes: Subjunctive due to cum-clause, implying contemporaneous consent.
  24. deprecanti — Lemma: deprecor; Part of Speech: Verb (participle, deponent); Form: Dative singular feminine, present active participle; Function: Indirect object of acquiesceret; Translation: “to her beseeching”; Notes: Describes Sarai’s imploring tone, revealing emotional urgency.

 

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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