Genesis 22:15

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

15 Vocavit autem Angelus Domini Abraham secundo de cælo, dicens:

And the Angel of the LORD called Abraham a second time from heaven, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vocavit called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but / moreover CONJ
3 Angelus Angel NOM.SG.M
4 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
5 Abraham Abraham ACC.SG.M
6 secundo a second time ADV
7 de from PREP+ABL
8 cælo heaven ABL.SG.N
9 dicens saying PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vocavit autem Angelus Domini Abraham — subject Angelus Domini (“the Angel of the LORD”), verb Vocavit, and direct object Abraham. The conjunction autem introduces a continuation or contrast with the previous divine communication.
Adverbial Modifier: secundo — specifies frequency, “a second time,” modifying Vocavit.
Prepositional Phrase: de cælo — indicates origin, “from heaven,” showing divine provenance of the call.
Participial Clause: dicens — present participle introducing the content of the divine speech to follow.

Morphology

  1. Vocavit — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “called”; Notes: Repeats divine summoning formula found earlier in the narrative.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective particle; Translation: “but / moreover”; Notes: Introduces new yet related divine action.
  3. Angelus — Lemma: angelus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “Angel”; Notes: The same messenger of YHWH from the earlier call.
  4. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH; indicates divine authority of the messenger.
  5. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: The one being addressed by the divine messenger.
  6. secundo — Lemma: secundo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of repetition; Translation: “a second time”; Notes: Indicates repetition of a prior call, emphasizing continuity.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks divine origin.
  8. cælo — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of preposition de; Translation: “heaven”; Notes: Indicates source of revelation.
  9. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative masculine singular; Function: introduces indirect discourse; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Signals direct divine speech to follow in the next verse.

 

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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