Genesis 17:27

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:27 Et omnes viri domus illius, tam vernaculi, quam emptitii et alienigenæ pariter circumcisi sunt.

And all the men of that house, both those born in the household and those bought, and the foreigners alike, were circumcised.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 omnes all NOM.PL.M
3 viri men NOM.PL.M
4 domus of the house GEN.SG.F
5 illius of that GEN.SG.F.DEMON.PRON
6 tam as much ADV.CORRELATIVE
7 vernaculi house-born NOM.PL.M
8 quam as CONJ.CORRELATIVE
9 emptitii purchased NOM.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 alienigenæ foreigners NOM.PL.M
12 pariter alike ADV
13 circumcisi were circumcised NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP
14 sunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Et omnes viri domus illius … circumcisi sunt — omnes viri is the subject (“all the men”), modified by the genitive phrase domus illius (“of that house”). circumcisi sunt is a perfect passive periphrastic construction (“were circumcised”).
Correlative Phrase: tam vernaculi quam emptitii et alienigenæ — a correlative pair (“both … and …”) expanded with et alienigenæ (“and the foreigners”), expressing the inclusiveness of the covenant act.
Adverbial Modifier: pariter — adverb meaning “alike,” emphasizing simultaneous and equal participation in the rite.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects this statement with the previous verse; Translation: “and”; Notes: Signals narrative continuity in describing covenant compliance.
  2. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies “viri”; Translation: “all”; Notes: Expresses the totality of male participants in the act.
  3. viri — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “men”; Notes: Refers to male members of Abraham’s household, both native and purchased.
  4. domus — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the house”; Notes: Indicates Abraham’s household domain.
  5. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “domus”; Translation: “of that”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s house previously mentioned.
  6. tam — Lemma: tam; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: correlative; Function: pairs with “quam”; Translation: “as much”; Notes: Introduces the first element in the correlative comparison.
  7. vernaculi — Lemma: vernaculus; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: coordinate subject; Translation: “house-born (servants)”; Notes: Refers to slaves born within Abraham’s household.
  8. quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: correlative; Function: introduces the second element of “tam … quam”; Translation: “as”; Notes: Balances the comparison begun by “tam.”
  9. emptitii — Lemma: emptitius; Part of Speech: adjective/noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: coordinate subject; Translation: “purchased (servants)”; Notes: Denotes slaves or servants acquired by purchase.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds a final element to the series; Translation: “and”; Notes: Expands the correlative pair to include a third category.
  11. alienigenæ — Lemma: alienigena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: coordinate subject; Translation: “foreigners”; Notes: Refers to non-native males living among Abraham’s household.
  12. pariter — Lemma: pariter; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier of “circumcisi sunt”; Translation: “alike”; Notes: Emphasizes equality in the execution of the rite among all groups.
  13. circumcisi — Lemma: circumcido; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine, perfect passive; Function: predicate adjective with “sunt”; Translation: “were circumcised”; Notes: Indicates completion of the covenantal act.
  14. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “were”; Notes: Completes the periphrastic construction, signifying collective fulfillment of the divine command.

 

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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