Genesis 21:13

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:13 Sed et filium ancillæ faciam in gentem magnam, quia semen tuum est.

But also the son of the servant woman I will make into a great nation, because he is your offspring.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 et also CONJ
3 filium son ACC.SG.M
4 ancillæ of the maidservant GEN.SG.F
5 faciam I will make 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
6 in into PREP+ACC
7 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
8 magnam great ACC.SG.F.ADJ
9 quia because CONJ
10 semen offspring NOM.SG.N
11 tuum your NOM.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
12 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Sed et filium ancillæ faciam in gentem magnam — The coordinating conjunctions Sed et introduce a divine assurance: despite Ishmael’s expulsion, God promises to make him a great nation. filium ancillæ is the direct object of faciam, and in gentem magnam is the result phrase expressing transformation.
Causal Clause: quia semen tuum est — The conjunction quia introduces the reason: Ishmael’s lineage from Abraham qualifies him for divine blessing.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Contrasts the exclusion of Ishmael from the covenant with God’s mercy toward him.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds emphasis or inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Conveys inclusivity—God’s concern extends even to Ishmael.
  3. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “faciam”; Translation: “son”; Notes: Refers to Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son by Hagar.
  4. ancillæ — Lemma: ancilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “filium”; Translation: “of the maidservant”; Notes: Identifies Ishmael as Hagar’s son, distinguishing him from Isaac.
  5. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will make”; Notes: Divine promise showing God’s active role in Ishmael’s destiny.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces predicate complement of result; Translation: “into”; Notes: Marks the transformation of Ishmael into a nation.
  7. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Represents a collective group descended from Ishmael, later known as the Ishmaelites.
  8. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Expresses the extent of God’s blessing on Ishmael’s descendants.
  9. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains the rationale for divine favor toward Ishmael.
  10. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Refers to physical descent and covenantal connection through Abraham’s lineage.
  11. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semen”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, indicating personal paternal relation to Ishmael.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Declares the reason for Ishmael’s blessing—his shared heritage as Abraham’s seed.

 

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.