Genesis 21:18

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:18 Surge, tolle puerum, et tene manum illius: quia in gentem magnam faciam eum.

Arise, take the boy, and hold his hand; for I will make him into a great nation.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Surge arise 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPERATIVE
2 tolle take 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPERATIVE
3 puerum boy ACC.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 tene hold 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPERATIVE
6 manum hand ACC.SG.F
7 illius of him / his GEN.SG.M.DEMONSTR.PRON
8 quia for / because CONJ
9 in into PREP+ACC
10 gentem nation ACC.SG.F
11 magnam great ACC.SG.F.ADJ
12 faciam I will make 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
13 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Surge, tolle puerum, et tene manum illius — A sequence of three imperatives, each addressing Hagar directly. The progression reflects urgency and compassion: first to rise, then to take responsibility, and finally to guide Ishmael physically and symbolically (“hold his hand”).
Causal Clause: quia in gentem magnam faciam eum — Introduced by quia, expressing divine assurance. The prepositional phrase in gentem magnam functions as the predicate complement of faciam, signifying transformation (“make him into a great nation”).
The juxtaposition of command and promise reflects divine restoration after despair.

Morphology

  1. Surge — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active, second person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “arise”; Notes: A common biblical imperative denoting renewed purpose and divine encouragement.
  2. tolle — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active, second person singular; Function: direct command; Translation: “take”; Notes: Implies care and protection — a gesture of restoring maternal duty toward Ishmael.
  3. puerum — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “tolle”; Translation: “boy”; Notes: Refers to Ishmael, now reassured of divine favor.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins the commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects sequential imperatives into one compassionate appeal.
  5. tene — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active, second person singular; Function: command of care; Translation: “hold”; Notes: Symbolizes both literal protection and emotional reassurance.
  6. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “tene”; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Represents physical contact as an act of nurturing faith and safety.
  7. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “manum”; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers back to Ishmael; shows tenderness in command.
  8. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “for / because”; Notes: Signals divine reason behind comfort — God’s ongoing plan for Ishmael.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses transformation or result; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates change of state rather than location.
  10. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “nation”; Notes: Used in covenant language, promising future posterity.
  11. magnam — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “great”; Notes: Intensifies the covenant promise given earlier to Abraham.
  12. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, first person singular; Function: main verb of the causal clause; Translation: “I will make”; Notes: Divine assurance of creation and destiny — echoes Genesis 17:20.
  13. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “faciam”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers explicitly to Ishmael, confirming God’s care despite expulsion.

 

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.