Genesis 17:25

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:25 Et Ismael filius tredecim annos impleverat tempore circumcisionis suæ.

And Ismael, his son, had completed thirteen years at the time of his circumcision.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 Ismael Ishmael NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
3 filius son NOM.SG.M
4 tredecim thirteen NUM.CARD.INDECL
5 annos years ACC.PL.M
6 impleverat had completed 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
7 tempore at the time ABL.SG.N
8 circumcisionis of circumcision GEN.SG.F
9 suæ his GEN.SG.F.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Et Ismael filius tredecim annos impleverat — Ismael is the subject; filius appositive, clarifying relationship; tredecim annos is an accusative of duration, meaning “thirteen years”; impleverat (“had completed”) is the pluperfect main verb, describing a past action completed before another event.
Temporal Phrase: tempore circumcisionis suæ — tempore is ablative of time; circumcisionis (genitive) specifies the event; suæ (“his”) relates the circumcision to Ishmael himself.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects to previous narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the narrative sequence following Abraham’s circumcision.
  2. Ismael — Lemma: Ismael; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Ishmael”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s son through Hagar, the secondary participant in the covenant sign.
  3. filius — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Ismael”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Identifies Ishmael’s relationship to Abraham.
  4. tredecim — Lemma: tredecim; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable cardinal number; Function: modifies “annos”; Translation: “thirteen”; Notes: Used idiomatically in Latin with “annos” to express age.
  5. annos — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: accusative of duration of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Indicates the span of Ishmael’s age completed at that time.
  6. impleverat — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “had completed”; Notes: Indicates action preceding the circumcision, showing his maturity.
  7. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: “at the time”; Notes: Introduces the temporal setting of Ishmael’s circumcision.
  8. circumcisionis — Lemma: circumcisio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: objective genitive modifying “tempore”; Translation: “of circumcision”; Notes: Refers to the ritual act marking covenant participation.
  9. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “circumcisionis”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexively refers to Ishmael, distinguishing his circumcision from Abraham’s.

 

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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