Genesis 17:15

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:15 Dixit quoque Deus ad Abraham: Sarai uxorem tuam non vocabis Sarai, sed Saram.

And God also said to Abraham: “You shall not call your wife Sarai, but Sara.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Abraham Abraham ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
6 Sarai Sarai ACC.SG.F.PROP.NOUN
7 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
8 tuam your ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
9 non not ADV
10 vocabis you shall call 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
11 Sarai Sarai ACC.SG.F.PROP.NOUN
12 sed but CONJ
13 Saram Sarah ACC.SG.F.PROP.NOUN

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Dixit quoque Deus ad Abraham — Dixit is the main verb (“said”), quoque adds emphasis (“also”), Deus is the subject, and ad Abraham indicates the indirect object (“to Abraham”).
Direct Command: Sarai uxorem tuam non vocabis Sarai — the imperative-like future vocabis (“you shall call”) functions as a prohibition with non (“not”); Sarai uxorem tuam (“your wife Sarai”) is the object of the command.
Contrastive Clause: sed Saram — introduced by sed (“but”), showing divine renaming: Saram (“Sarah”) replaces her old name, marking covenantal identity.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces a new divine utterance continuing the covenant narrative.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “Dixit”; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates addition to the previous divine discourse.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: The speaker and covenant giver.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the recipient of speech.
  5. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Recipient of divine address.
  6. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “vocabis”; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s wife before her renaming.
  7. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: apposition to “Sarai”; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Clarifies relational status in the command.
  8. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “uxorem”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Indicates personal relationship of Abraham to Sarai.
  9. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates the verb “vocabis”; Translation: “not”; Notes: Prohibits use of her former name.
  10. vocabis — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “you shall call”; Notes: Expresses divine directive in predictive form.
  11. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “vocabis”; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Repetition reinforces her old identity being replaced.
  12. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: expresses contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces the divine replacement name.
  13. Saram — Lemma: Sara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “Sarah”; Notes: New covenantal name symbolizing her elevated role as “princess” or matriarch of nations.

 

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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