Genesis 17:10

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:10 Hoc est pactum meum quod observabitis inter me et vos, et semen tuum post te: Circumcidetur ex vobis omne masculinum:

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you, and your offspring after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hoc this NOM.SG.N.DEMON.ADJ
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 pactum covenant NOM.SG.N
4 meum my NOM.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
5 quod which REL.PRON.NOM.SG.N
6 observabitis you shall keep 2PL.FUT.ACT.IND
7 inter between PREP+ACC
8 me me ACC.SG.PRON
9 et and CONJ
10 vos you (pl.) ACC.PL.PRON
11 et and CONJ
12 semen offspring ACC.SG.N
13 tuum your ACC.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
14 post after PREP+ACC
15 te you ACC.SG.PRON
16 Circumcidetur shall be circumcised 3SG.FUT.PASS.IND
17 ex from PREP+ABL
18 vobis you (pl.) ABL.PL.PRON
19 omne every NOM.SG.N.ADJ
20 masculinum male NOM.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Hoc est pactum meum — Hoc is the subject (“this”), est is the linking verb, and pactum meum is the predicate nominative meaning “my covenant.”
Relative Clause: quod observabitis inter me et vos — quod introduces the defining clause, observabitis is the main verb (“you shall keep”), and inter me et vos expresses mutual obligation between God and Abraham’s lineage.
Appositive Expansion: et semen tuum post te — identifies Abraham’s offspring as covenant partners in perpetuity.
Independent Command: Circumcidetur ex vobis omne masculinum — Circumcidetur is future passive (“shall be circumcised”), ex vobis marks the group of obligation, and omne masculinum is the grammatical subject, universalizing the command to all males.

Morphology

  1. Hoc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “this”; Notes: Introduces and points to the covenantal definition that follows.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: linking verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Equative verb linking subject and predicate nominative.
  3. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: The main subject under discussion, a legal or sacred agreement.
  4. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “pactum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses divine ownership and personal establishment of the covenant.
  5. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “observabitis”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects “pactum” to the following command, defining its practical expression.
  6. observabitis — Lemma: observo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person plural; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you shall keep”; Notes: Indicates future continuous obligation or divine injunction.
  7. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses relation between parties; Translation: “between”; Notes: Introduces mutual covenantal scope.
  8. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “inter”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Represents God as one party in the covenant.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the two covenant parties; Translation: “and”; Notes: Expresses partnership or mutual agreement.
  10. vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: second object of “inter”; Translation: “you (plural)”; Notes: Refers collectively to Abraham’s household and descendants.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces continuation of covenantal scope.
  12. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object (understood with “inter”); Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Collective noun referring to all Abrahamic descendants.
  13. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semen”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates Abraham’s direct posterity.
  14. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: temporal expression; Translation: “after”; Notes: Denotes continuation of obligation beyond Abraham’s lifetime.
  15. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “post”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as covenant initiator.
  16. Circumcidetur — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of independent clause; Translation: “shall be circumcised”; Notes: Divine command describing the physical sign sealing the covenant.
  17. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates group origin of those to be circumcised.
  18. vobis — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative plural; Function: complement of “ex”; Translation: “from among you”; Notes: Specifies inclusion of all males within the covenant community.
  19. omne — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “masculinum”; Translation: “every”; Notes: Universal quantifier emphasizing no exception among males.
  20. masculinum — Lemma: masculinus; Part of Speech: substantive adjective (noun use); Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “circumcidetur”; Translation: “male”; Notes: Refers to every male individual within the covenant line as the mandated participant in circumcision.

 

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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