Genesis 21:3

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:3 Vocavitque Abraham nomen filii sui, quem genuit ei Sara, Isaac:

And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore to him, Isaac;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vocavitque and called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -que
2 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M
3 nomen name ACC.SG.N
4 filii of (his) son GEN.SG.M
5 sui his GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
6 quem whom ACC.SG.M.REL.PRON
7 genuit bore / begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
9 Sara Sarah NOM.SG.F
10 Isaac Isaac ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vocavitque Abraham nomen filii sui Isaac — The main verb Vocavitque governs a double accusative construction: nomen (“name”) as the internal object, and Isaac as the predicate accusative identifying the name given.
Relative Clause: quem genuit ei Sara — Defines filii, “his son whom Sara bore to him,” specifying Isaac’s maternal origin.

Morphology

  1. Vocavitque — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: “and called”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this action with the preceding narrative, emphasizing continuity in Abraham’s obedience to divine instruction.
  2. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vocavit”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: The patriarch acts as the agent naming his promised son in accordance with divine command.
  3. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: internal object of “vocavit”; Translation: “name”; Notes: Part of the double accusative construction common with verbs of naming or calling.
  4. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “nomen”; Translation: “of (his) son”; Notes: Indicates that the name belongs to Abraham’s son.
  5. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: reflexive possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “filii”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers reflexively back to Abraham, clarifying family relationship.
  6. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause modifying “filii”; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Connects to “genuit ei Sara” and specifies which son.
  7. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: “bore / begot”; Notes: Highlights Sara’s miraculous conception, fulfilling divine promise.
  8. ei — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “genuit”; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, showing that Sara bore the son for him.
  9. Sara — Lemma: Sara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “genuit”; Translation: “Sara”; Notes: Acts as the maternal agent within the subordinate clause, fulfilling divine word.
  10. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative complement of “nomen”; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: Name meaning “he laughs,” recalling Abraham and Sara’s earlier laughter at the promise, now transformed into joy and faith realized.

 

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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