Genesis 22:16

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:16 Per memetipsum iuravi, dicit Dominus: quia fecisti hanc rem, et non pepercisti filio tuo unigenito propter me:

“By myself I have sworn,” says the LORD: “because you have done this thing, and have not spared your only son for my sake:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Per by PREP+ACC
2 memetipsum myself PRON.REFL.ACC.SG.M
3 iuravi I have sworn 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 dicit says 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 quia because CONJ
7 fecisti you have done 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 hanc this DEM.ADJ.ACC.SG.F
9 rem thing ACC.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 non not ADV
12 pepercisti you have spared 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 filio son DAT.SG.M
14 tuo your ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.M
15 unigenito only ADJ.DAT.SG.M
16 propter for / because of PREP+ACC
17 me me PRON.ACC.SG

Syntax

Main Clause: Per memetipsum iuravi, dicit Dominus — subject Dominus, main verb dicit (“says”), with the divine utterance introduced by Per memetipsum iuravi (“By myself I have sworn”), expressing solemn self-oath.
Causal Clause: quia fecisti hanc rem — subordinate causal clause explaining divine response to Abraham’s obedience.
Coordinated Clause: et non pepercisti filio tuo unigenito propter me — second clause linked by et, showing the act of not sparing his son as parallel proof of obedience.
Prepositional Phrase: propter me — expresses motivation, “for my sake,” emphasizing loyalty to YHWH.

Morphology

  1. Per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces means or agency; Translation: “by”; Notes: Common in oath formulas indicating instrument or authority of the oath.
  2. memetipsum — Lemma: memetipsum; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of preposition per; Translation: “myself”; Notes: Intensified form of *me ipsum* emphasizing self-reference—unique in divine oaths.
  3. iuravi — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I have sworn”; Notes: Marks solemn self-binding declaration of the LORD.
  4. dicit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: introduces direct divine speech; Translation: “says”; Notes: Present tense for vividness in narrative.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of dicit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the speaker of the oath.
  6. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains divine motivation.
  7. fecisti — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb in causal clause; Translation: “you have done”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed obedience.
  8. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: modifies rem; Translation: “this”; Notes: Deictic, refers to Abraham’s action of obedience.
  9. rem — Lemma: res; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: direct object of fecisti; Translation: “thing”; Notes: Refers to the act of offering Isaac.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the second proof of obedience.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Adds contrast to Abraham’s restraint.
  12. pepercisti — Lemma: parco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you have spared”; Notes: Governs dative object (filio tuo unigenito).
  13. filio — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: indirect object of pepercisti; Translation: “son”; Notes: Recipient of the verb’s negative action (“not spared”).
  14. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies filio; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personal possessive marking Abraham’s relationship.
  15. unigenito — Lemma: unigenitus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies filio; Translation: “only”; Notes: Emphasizes Isaac’s unique covenantal role.
  16. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses cause or motive; Translation: “for / because of”; Notes: Indicates motivation of Abraham’s action.
  17. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of propter; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to the LORD Himself.

 

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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