Genesis 17:4

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:4 Dixitque ei Deus: Ego sum, et pactum meum tecum, erisque pater multarum gentium.

And God said to him: “I am, and my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 Ego I NOM.SG.PRON
5 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
6 et and CONJ
7 pactum covenant NOM.SG.N
8 meum my NOM.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
9 tecum with you PREP+ABL.PRON
10 erisque and you shall be 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND + CONJ
11 pater father NOM.SG.M
12 multarum of many GEN.PL.F
13 gentium nations GEN.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Dixitque ei Deus — Dixit is the main verb (“said”), connected to prior context with enclitic -que; ei functions as indirect object (“to him”); Deus is the subject.
Direct Speech: Ego sum, et pactum meum tecum — expresses divine self-declaration followed by covenantal affirmation; pactum meum (subject) + tecum (complement) form an equative clause, “my covenant [is] with you.”
Coordinated Clause: erisque pater multarum gentium — eris is the future indicative verb (“you shall be”); pater serves as the predicate nominative; multarum gentium is a genitive phrase of possession or relation (“of many nations”).

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 said”; Notes: Connects with previous verse, introducing divine speech.
  2. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “dixit”; Translation: “God”; Notes: Speaker of the divine promise.
  4. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of “sum”; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expresses divine self-identity.
  5. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of existence; Translation: “am”; Notes: Introduces divine declaration similar to “I am.”
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects “Ego sum” with the next assertion.
  7. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of implied “est”; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Legal or divine agreement.
  8. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “pactum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates divine possession of the covenant.
  9. tecum — Lemma: te + cum; Part of Speech: prepositional phrase; Form: preposition with ablative pronoun; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Emphasizes relational covenant between God and Abraham.
  10. erisque — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb + conjunction; Form: future active indicative, second person singular with enclitic “-que”; Function: main verb; Translation: “and you shall be”; Notes: Introduces prophetic promise of Abraham’s destiny.
  11. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “father”; Notes: Title of lineage and authority.
  12. multarum — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies “gentium”; Translation: “of many”; Notes: Expresses quantity or magnitude.
  13. gentium — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers to peoples or ethnic groups descended from Abraham.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.