Genesis 17:13

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

13 eritque pactum meum in carne vestra in fœdus æternum.

And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 eritque and shall be 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 pactum covenant NOM.SG.N
3 meum my NOM.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 carne flesh ABL.SG.F
6 vestra your ABL.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
7 in for / into PREP+ACC
8 fœdus covenant ACC.SG.N
9 æternum everlasting ACC.SG.N.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: eritque pactum meum in carne vestra — erit is the future form of “sum” (shall be); the enclitic -que connects the clause to the preceding verse; pactum meum serves as the subject and predicate noun (“my covenant”); in carne vestra expresses the physical locus of the covenant, literally “in your flesh.”
Purpose / Result Phrase: in fœdus æternum — in with the accusative denotes result or end state (“for an everlasting covenant”), describing the covenant’s enduring and immutable nature.

Morphology

  1. eritque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: future active indicative, third person singular with enclitic “-que”; Function: main verb; Translation: “and shall be”; Notes: Predicts continuation of the divine covenant, joined to the previous command by “-que.”
  2. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Refers to the formal divine agreement symbolized by circumcision.
  3. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “pactum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates God’s ownership and initiation of the covenant.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Expresses physical location or embodiment of the covenant.
  5. carne — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Symbolizes human participation in divine promises through a physical sign.
  6. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies “carne”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Specifies the covenant’s inscription in the flesh of Abraham’s descendants.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses result or purpose; Translation: “for / into”; Notes: Marks the transformation of the act into a permanent institution.
  8. fœdus — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Refers to the binding divine-human agreement confirmed by ritual sign.
  9. æternum — Lemma: æternus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies “fœdus”; Translation: “everlasting”; Notes: Highlights perpetual duration, emphasizing the covenant’s unbreakable and timeless nature.

 

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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