Genesis 22:17

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:17 benedicam tibi, et multiplicabo semen tuum sicut stellas cæli, et velut arenam quæ est in littore maris: possidebit semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum,

I will bless you, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of heaven and like the sand that is on the shore of the sea; your offspring shall possess the gates of their enemies.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 benedicam I will bless 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 tibi to you PRON.DAT.SG
3 et and CONJ
4 multiplicabo I will multiply 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 semen offspring ACC.SG.N
6 tuum your ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.N
7 sicut like / as CONJ
8 stellas stars ACC.PL.F
9 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 velut as / like CONJ
12 arenam sand ACC.SG.F
13 quæ which REL.PRON.NOM.SG.F
14 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 in on / in PREP+ABL
16 littore shore ABL.SG.N
17 maris of the sea GEN.SG.N
18 possidebit shall possess 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
19 semen offspring NOM.SG.N
20 tuum your ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.N
21 portas gates ACC.PL.F
22 inimicorum of enemies GEN.PL.M
23 suorum their ADJ.POSS.GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clauses: benedicam tibi and multiplicabo semen tuum — both have the implied divine subject “I (the LORD)” with future indicative verbs, expressing divine promise.
Comparative Clauses: sicut stellas cæli and velut arenam quæ est in littore maris — similes expressing immeasurable multiplication of Abraham’s descendants. The relative clause quæ est in littore maris modifies arenam.
Prophetic Clause: possidebit semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum — future prophecy; subject semen tuum (“your offspring”) with verb possidebit and object portas inimicorum suorum (“the gates of their enemies”), denoting dominion and triumph.

Morphology

  1. benedicam — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will bless”; Notes: First divine promise of favor, anticipatory of covenantal blessings.
  2. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, recipient of divine promise.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects future actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential divine promises.
  4. multiplicabo — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will multiply”; Notes: Indicates divine expansion of Abraham’s lineage.
  5. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object of multiplicabo; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Collective noun meaning descendants or progeny.
  6. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: modifies semen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personal possessive reference to Abraham.
  7. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “as / like”; Notes: Used for similes.
  8. stellas — Lemma: stella; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: object of comparison; Translation: “stars”; Notes: Symbolizes vast number.
  9. cæli — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine singular; Function: genitive of place; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Denotes heavenly multitude imagery.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects second comparison; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links parallel simile with velut.
  11. velut — Lemma: velut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison; Translation: “like / as”; Notes: Slightly more poetic than sicut.
  12. arenam — Lemma: arena; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: object of comparison; Translation: “sand”; Notes: Symbol of countless multitude.
  13. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of est; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to sand.
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: copula in relative clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: Simple state-of-being verb.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates location; Translation: “on / in”; Notes: Used with ablative for fixed position.
  16. littore — Lemma: littus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative neuter singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “shore”; Notes: Spatial context of imagery.
  17. maris — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the sea”; Notes: Completes prepositional phrase “on the shore of the sea.”
  18. possidebit — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall possess”; Notes: Future prophecy of triumph and inheritance.
  19. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject of possidebit; Translation: “offspring”; Notes: Collective noun representing descendants.
  20. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: modifies semen; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personal possession.
  21. portas — Lemma: porta; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine plural; Function: direct object of possidebit; Translation: “gates”; Notes: Symbol of cities or strongholds conquered.
  22. inimicorum — Lemma: inimicus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive masculine plural; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of enemies”; Notes: Indicates those conquered or subdued.
  23. suorum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: genitive masculine plural; Function: modifies inimicorum; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflexive to subject semen tuum.

 

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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