Genesis 17:2

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:2 Ponamque fœdus meum inter me et te, et multiplicabo te vehementer nimis.

And I will set my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly much.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ponamque and I will set 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 fœdus covenant ACC.SG.N
3 meum my ACC.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
4 inter between PREP+ACC
5 me me ACC.SG.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 te you ACC.SG.PRON
8 et and CONJ
9 multiplicabo I will multiply 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 te you ACC.SG.PRON
11 vehementer exceedingly ADV
12 nimis very much ADV

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Ponamque fœdus meum inter me et te — Ponam is the first-person future indicative verb (“I will set”); fœdus meum functions as the direct object (“my covenant”); inter me et te expresses the mutual relationship between speaker and recipient.
Main Clause 2: et multiplicabo te vehementer nimis — a coordinated future clause; multiplicabo is the main verb; te is the direct object; vehementer nimis intensifies the degree of multiplication, forming a superlative adverbial phrase meaning “exceedingly much.”

Morphology

  1. Ponamque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: future active indicative, first person singular with enclitic “-que”; Function: main verb; Translation: “and I will set”; Notes: Predictive future referring to the establishment of the divine covenant.
  2. fœdus — Lemma: foedus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “ponam”; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Refers to the solemn agreement between God and Abraham.
  3. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies “fœdus”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates divine ownership of the covenant.
  4. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces the two parties of the covenant; Translation: “between”; Notes: Used in bilateral agreements.
  5. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: first party of prepositional phrase “inter me et te”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to the LORD Himself.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins nouns or clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two parties in the phrase.
  7. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: second party in the prepositional phrase; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Abraham.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins the following independent clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequentially links divine promises.
  9. multiplicabo — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “I will multiply”; Notes: Future tense emphasizes divine assurance of numerous descendants.
  10. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of “multiplicabo”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers again to Abraham as recipient of promise.
  11. vehementer — Lemma: vehementer; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “multiplicabo”; Translation: “exceedingly”; Notes: Indicates intensity or degree.
  12. nimis — Lemma: nimis; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: reinforces “vehementer”; Translation: “very much”; Notes: Together with “vehementer” creates emphatic duplication meaning “exceedingly much.”

 

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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