Genesis 18:18

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et BENEDICENDÆ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ?

Since he is to become a great and most mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 cum since / when CONJ.SUBORD
2 futurus about to be NOM.SG.M.FUT.ACT.PTCP
3 sit he is / should be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
4 in into / to PREP+ACC
5 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
6 magnam great ACC.SG.F.ADJ
7 ac and / and also CONJ
8 robustissimam most strong / very mighty ACC.SG.F.SUPERL.ADJ
9 et and CONJ
10 BENEDICENDÆ to be blessed NOM.PL.F.FUT.PASS.PTCP
11 sint they shall be 3PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 illo in him ABL.SG.M.DEMON.PRON
14 omnes all NOM.PL.F
15 nationes nations NOM.PL.F
16 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Causal Clause: cum futurus sit in gentem magnam ac robustissimam — The conjunction cum introduces a causal or circumstantial clause meaning “since.” The verb phrase futurus sit (periphrastic future) expresses divine foreknowledge of Abraham’s destiny: “since he is to become.” The prepositional phrase in gentem magnam ac robustissimam describes transformation into “a great and most mighty nation,” combining both numerical and moral strength.
Coordinated Clause: et benedicendæ sint in illo omnes nationes terræ — The future passive periphrastic benedicendæ sint (“shall be blessed”) expresses divine blessing to all nations “in him,” that is, through Abraham’s lineage. The dative of agent is not expressed, implying God as the ultimate source of the blessing.

Morphology

  1. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal or temporal clause; Translation: “since / when”; Notes: Here causal, expressing divine rationale for revealing His plans to Abraham.
  2. futurus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, future active; Function: predicate adjective with “sit”; Translation: “about to be”; Notes: Forms part of a periphrastic future, expressing destiny or divine certainty.
  3. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he is / should be”; Notes: Subjunctive due to cum-clause, expressing purpose or cause.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses transformation; Translation: “into”; Notes: Used with motion toward a state of being (“into a great nation”).
  5. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Denotes a people or ethnic lineage emerging from Abraham.
  6. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Refers to numerical and covenantal greatness.
  7. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects adjectives; Translation: “and / and also”; Notes: Strengthens the description, coordinating “magnam” with “robustissimam.”
  8. robustissimam — Lemma: robustus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine, superlative degree; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “most mighty”; Notes: Emphasizes moral and military strength under divine favor.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins two future clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the promise of greatness with universal blessing.
  10. BENEDICENDÆ — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural feminine, future passive; Function: predicate adjective with “sint”; Translation: “to be blessed”; Notes: Future passive periphrastic indicating divine determination that blessing will occur through Abraham.
  11. sint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: auxiliary in periphrastic construction; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Subjunctive of potential or divine decree within subordinate context.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates instrument or sphere; Translation: “in / through”; Notes: Expresses the medium of blessing (“in him”).
  13. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “in him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as channel of blessing.
  14. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective / pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “benedicendæ sint”; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes universality of divine blessing.
  15. nationes — Lemma: natio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers to all peoples outside Abraham’s immediate lineage.
  16. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Universal scope of the covenant, extending beyond geographic boundaries.

 

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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