Genesis 17:9

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Dixit iterum Deus ad Abraham: Et tu ergo custodies pactum meum, et semen tuum post te in generationibus suis.

And God said again to Abraham: “And you therefore shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you in their generations.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 iterum again ADV
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Abraham Abraham ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
6 Et and CONJ
7 tu you NOM.SG.PRON
8 ergo therefore ADV
9 custodies shall keep 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
10 pactum covenant ACC.SG.N
11 meum my ACC.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
12 et and CONJ
13 semen offspring NOM.SG.N
14 tuum your NOM.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
15 post after PREP+ACC
16 te you ACC.SG.PRON
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 generationibus generations ABL.PL.F
19 suis their ABL.PL.F.REFL.ADJ

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Dixit iterum Deus ad Abraham — Dixit is the main verb (“said”); iterum modifies it (“again”); Deus is the subject; ad Abraham indicates the indirect object (“to Abraham”).
Main Clause (Direct Speech): Et tu ergo custodies pactum meum — tu is the subject; custodies is a future active indicative expressing obligation or divine command; pactum meum is the direct object (“my covenant”).
Coordinated Phrase: et semen tuum post te in generationibus suis — semen tuum acts as a coordinated subject; post te (“after you”) marks continuity; in generationibus suis expresses perpetuity through descendants.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks a new divine communication.
  2. iterum — Lemma: iterum; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “dixit”; Translation: “again”; Notes: Indicates repetition of divine speech.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Speaker of the covenant command.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Expresses direction of speech.
  5. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Recipient of divine address.
  6. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: begins direct speech; Translation: “and”; Notes: Transitional connector introducing command.
  7. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of “custodies”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Abraham personally addressed.
  8. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies clause; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Draws logical consequence from previous divine promises.
  9. custodies — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “you shall keep”; Notes: Implies faithful observance or obedience.
  10. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “custodies”; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Refers to the binding divine agreement.
  11. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: modifies “pactum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates divine ownership.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links second clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Extends obligation to Abraham’s descendants.
  13. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of the second clause; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Collective singular referring to descendants.
  14. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semen”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Specifies Abraham’s lineage.
  15. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: temporal; Translation: “after”; Notes: Refers to later generations.
  16. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “post”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Denotes continuity beyond Abraham’s life.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates sphere of generational observance.
  18. generationibus — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “generations”; Notes: Refers to descendants throughout time.
  19. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive adjective; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: modifies “generationibus”; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflects continuity within Abraham’s lineage.

 

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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