Genesis 21:22

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:22 Eodem tempore dixit Abimelech, et Phicol princeps exercitus eius ad Abraham: Deus tecum est in universis quæ agis.

At that same time Abimelech and Phicol, the chief of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying: “God is with you in all that you do.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Eodem the same ABL.SG.M.DEMONSTR.ADJ
2 tempore time ABL.SG.N
3 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Abimelech Abimelech NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
5 et and CONJ
6 Phicol Phicol NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
7 princeps chief / leader NOM.SG.M
8 exercitus of the army GEN.SG.M
9 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
10 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
11 Abraham Abraham ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
12 Deus God NOM.SG.M
13 tecum with you ABL.SG.M.PRON+PREP
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 in in PREP+ABL
16 universis all (things) ABL.PL.N.ADJ
17 quæ which / that NOM.PL.N.REL.PRON
18 agis you do 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Phrase: Eodem tempore — Ablative of time, situating the event historically after Ishmael’s settlement.
Main Clause: dixit Abimelech, et Phicol princeps exercitus eius, ad Abraham — The verb dixit governs both subjects (Abimelech and Phicol), the latter appositive with princeps exercitus eius clarifying Phicol’s role. The prepositional phrase ad Abraham identifies the recipient of speech.
Reported Speech: Deus tecum est in universis quæ agis — A declarative recognition of divine favor. The predicate tecum est indicates enduring divine presence, while the relative clause quæ agis defines the scope (“in all that you do”).

Morphology

  1. Eodem — Lemma: idem; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “tempore”; Translation: “the same”; Notes: Refers to continuity with previous events, temporally linking the narrative.
  2. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “time”; Notes: Marks temporal setting for the encounter.
  3. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse expressing recognition of divine favor.
  4. Abimelech — Lemma: Abimelech; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “dixit”; Translation: “Abimelech”; Notes: King of Gerar, recurring interlocutor with Abraham.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links two subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects Abimelech with his military leader, emphasizing unity of purpose.
  6. Phicol — Lemma: Phicol; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: co-subject with Abimelech; Translation: “Phicol”; Notes: Chief commander, attesting to the gravity of the meeting.
  7. princeps — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Phicol”; Translation: “chief / leader”; Notes: Highlights his status as military authority under Abimelech.
  8. exercitus — Lemma: exercitus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “princeps”; Translation: “of the army”; Notes: Denotes military leadership role in the political hierarchy.
  9. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “exercitus”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Abimelech, indicating possession.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces recipient of the speech, Abraham.
  11. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Patriarch and covenant recipient, addressed with respect.
  12. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “God”; Notes: Recognized by pagans as favoring Abraham.
  13. tecum — Lemma: tu + cum; Part of Speech: pronoun + preposition; Form: ablative singular; Function: adverbial phrase; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Expresses personal divine presence and blessing.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: States enduring divine accompaniment.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces adverbial phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Specifies scope of divine presence.
  16. universis — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies “quæ”; Translation: “all (things)”; Notes: Indicates totality of Abraham’s endeavors under divine favor.
  17. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of “agis”; Translation: “which / that”; Notes: Refers to the totality of Abraham’s actions.
  18. agis — Lemma: ago; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, second person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you do”; Notes: Suggests continual activity under divine guidance.

 

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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