Genesis 21:21

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:21 Habitavitque in deserto Pharan, et accepit illi mater sua uxorem de terra Ægypti.

And he lived in the desert of Pharan, and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Habitavitque and lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 in in PREP+ABL
3 deserto wilderness / desert ABL.SG.N
4 Pharan Paran ABL.SG.N.PROP.NOUN
5 et and CONJ
6 accepit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 illi for him DAT.SG.M.PRON
8 mater mother NOM.SG.F
9 sua his NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
10 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
11 de from PREP+ABL
12 terra land ABL.SG.F
13 Ægypti Egypt GEN.SG.F.PROP.NOUN

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Habitavitque in deserto Pharan — The verb habitavit denotes permanent dwelling rather than temporary stay. The prepositional phrase in deserto Pharan identifies Ishmael’s home in the arid region south of Canaan.
Main Clause 2: et accepit illi mater sua uxorem de terra Ægypti — accepit functions as the main verb of the second clause; mater sua serves as the subject, illi as a dative of advantage (“for him”). The object uxorem is modified by the prepositional phrase de terra Ægypti, explaining the origin of the wife. This sentence reflects cultural and genealogical continuity with Hagar’s Egyptian roots.

Morphology

  1. Habitavitque — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and lived”; Notes: Indicates established residence, marking Ishmael’s independence and fulfillment of divine promise.
  2. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Denotes physical location of dwelling.
  3. deserto — Lemma: desertum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “desert”; Notes: Geographical term used for wilderness regions associated with nomadic life.
  4. Pharan — Lemma: Pharan; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: appositive specifying “deserto”; Translation: “Paran”; Notes: Desert northeast of Sinai, significant in Ishmael’s settlement narrative.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects Ishmael’s settlement with his subsequent marriage arrangement.
  6. accepit — Lemma: accipio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “took”; Notes: Refers to formal selection or arrangement of marriage by Hagar.
  7. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: dative of advantage; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Indicates that the marriage was arranged for Ishmael’s benefit.
  8. mater — Lemma: mater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “accepit”; Translation: “mother”; Notes: Refers to Hagar, still caring for her son’s future despite exile.
  9. sua — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “mater”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, emphasizing maternal relationship and loyalty.
  10. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “accepit”; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Represents marital union fulfilling Ishmael’s social establishment.
  11. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks geographic and ethnic source of the wife.
  12. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “land”; Notes: Used geographically to denote region of origin.
  13. Ægypti — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “terra”; Translation: “of Egypt”; Notes: Reinforces Ishmael’s maternal lineage and Egyptian heritage through Hagar’s homeland.

 

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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