Genesis 21:23

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:23 Iura ergo per Deum, ne noceas mihi, et posteris meis, stirpique meæ: sed iuxta misericordiam, quam feci tibi, facies mihi, et terræ in qua versatus es advena.

Therefore swear to me by God that you will not harm me, nor my descendants nor my lineage; but according to the kindness that I have shown you, you shall do to me and to the land in which you have sojourned as a stranger.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Iura swear 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 per by / through PREP+ACC
4 Deum God ACC.SG.M
5 ne lest / that not NEG.PARTICLE (PURPOSE CLAUSE)
6 noceas you harm 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
7 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
8 et and CONJ
9 posteris descendants DAT.PL.M
10 meis my DAT.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
11 stirpique and to my lineage DAT.SG.F + ENCLITIC -QUE
12 meæ my DAT.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
13 sed but CONJ
14 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
15 misericordiam kindness / mercy ACC.SG.F
16 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
17 feci I did / showed 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 tibi to you DAT.SG.2ND.PRON
19 facies you shall do 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
21 et and CONJ
22 terræ to the land DAT.SG.F
23 in in PREP+ABL
24 qua in which ABL.SG.F.REL.PRON
25 versatus lived / sojourned NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART (DEPONENT)
26 es you are / have been 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
27 advena as a stranger NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Iura ergo per Deum — Imperative command by Abimelech urging Abraham to take a solemn oath. The prepositional phrase per Deum expresses invocation by divine authority.
Negative Purpose Clause: ne noceas mihi, et posteris meis, stirpique meæ — The conjunction ne introduces a subjunctive clause of prevention, “that you may not harm.” The triple dative series (mihi, posteris meis, stirpique meæ) expands the sphere of protection from the speaker himself to his descendants and lineage.
Adversative Clause: sed iuxta misericordiam quam feci tibi — The preposition iuxta governs the accusative misericordiam, expressing comparison: “according to the mercy I have shown you.”
Result / Obligation Clause: facies mihi, et terræ in qua versatus es advena — The future facies functions as a covenantal commitment. The dative mihi et terræ are indirect objects, extended metaphorically to include the land of Abraham’s sojourning. The final participial phrase in qua versatus es advena adds descriptive nuance of Abraham’s temporary residence.

Morphology

  1. Iura — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active, second person singular; Function: command; Translation: “swear”; Notes: Expresses formal oath-taking, characteristic of treaty language.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Function: inferential connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Draws logical consequence from prior recognition of divine favor.
  3. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object of oath; Translation: “by”; Notes: Typical of solemn invocations.
  4. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “per”; Translation: “God”; Notes: Divine witness to covenant.
  5. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: negative particle; Function: introduces negative purpose clause; Translation: “lest / that not.”
  6. noceas — Lemma: noceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active, second person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “you harm”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses prevention or avoidance.
  7. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me.”
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: coordination; Translation: “and.”
  9. posteris — Lemma: posterus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “descendants.”
  10. meis — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: modifies “posteris”; Translation: “my.”
  11. stirpique — Lemma: stirps; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine + enclitic -que; Function: joins “stirpi” to the preceding objects; Translation: “and to [my] lineage.”
  12. meæ — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: modifies “stirpi”; Translation: “my.”
  13. sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: adversative; Translation: “but.”
  14. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: comparative relation; Translation: “according to.”
  15. misericordiam — Lemma: misericordia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “iuxta”; Translation: “mercy / kindness.”
  16. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause modifying “misericordiam”; Translation: “which.”
  17. feci — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, first person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “I did / showed.”
  18. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of “feci”; Translation: “to you.”
  19. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, second person singular; Function: main verb of result clause; Translation: “you shall do.”
  20. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of “facies”; Translation: “to me.”
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: joins coordinated datives; Translation: “and.”
  22. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular feminine; Function: indirect object of “facies”; Translation: “to the land.”
  23. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “in.”
  24. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “in which.”
  25. versatus — Lemma: versor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate complement of “es”; Translation: “lived / sojourned.”
  26. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active, second person singular; Function: auxiliary for perfect deponent; Translation: “you are / have been.”
  27. advena — Lemma: advena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “as a stranger”; Notes: Denotes Abraham’s foreign status in the land of Gerar, underscoring his dependence on divine favor.

 

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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