Genesis 17:18

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:18 Dixitque ad Deum: Utinam Ismael vivat coram te.

And he said to God: “I wish that Ismael might live before you.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 ad to PREP+ACC
3 Deum God ACC.SG.M
4 Utinam would that / I wish that PART
5 Ismael Ishmael NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
6 vivat may live 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
8 te you ABL.SG.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque ad Deum — Dixit is the principal verb (“said”); the enclitic -que connects this verse to the preceding dialogue; ad Deum indicates the addressee, “to God.”
Optative Clause: Utinam Ismael vivat coram te — Utinam introduces a wish or desire in the subjunctive mood; Ismael is the subject; vivat (“may live”) expresses the optative request; coram te (“before you”) indicates living in God’s favor or presence. The clause conveys Abraham’s heartfelt plea that Ishmael may share in divine blessing.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular with enclitic “-que”; Function: main verb; Translation: “and he said”; Notes: Links Abraham’s statement to the prior divine dialogue.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the direction of Abraham’s speech toward God.
  3. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “God”; Notes: Recipient of Abraham’s direct petition.
  4. Utinam — Lemma: utinam; Part of Speech: particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces optative subjunctive; Translation: “would that / I wish that”; Notes: Expresses a heartfelt desire, common in prayers and supplications.
  5. Ismael — Lemma: Ismael; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Ishmael”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s firstborn son through Hagar, whom he desires to remain under divine care.
  6. vivat — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: main verb of optative clause; Translation: “may live”; Notes: Subjunctive mood expresses wishful thought aligned with the optative particle “utinam.”
  7. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates presence or proximity; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Implies living righteously under divine observation and favor.
  8. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to God as the one before whom Ishmael is hoped to live in blessing.

 

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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