Genesis 22:7

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 22:7 dixit Isaac patri suo: Pater mi. At ille respondit: Quid vis fili? Ecce, inquit, ignis et ligna: ubi est victima holocausti?

and Isaac said to his father: “My father.” But he answered: “What do you want, my son?” “Behold,” he said, “the fire and the wood; where is the victim for the burnt offering?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Isaac Isaac NOM.SG.M
3 patri to (his) father DAT.SG.M
4 suo his ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.M
5 Pater father VOC.SG.M
6 mi my PRON.POSS.VOC.SG.M
7 At but CONJ
8 ille he PRON.NOM.SG.M
9 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Quid what INTERROG.PRON.ACC.SG.N
11 vis do you want 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
12 fili my son VOC.SG.M
13 Ecce behold INTERJ
14 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 ignis fire NOM.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 ligna wood NOM.PL.N
18 ubi where ADV.INT
19 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
20 victima victim NOM.SG.F
21 holocausti of the burnt offering GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit Isaac patri suo — subject Isaac with indirect object patri suo; introduces direct speech.
Direct Speech (Isaac): Pater mi — simple vocative address expressing filial reverence.
Response Clause: At ille respondit: Quid vis fili? — contrastive At introduces the father’s response, with interrogative phrase Quid vis and vocative fili.
Observation Clause: Ecce, inquit, ignis et ligna — presentative Ecce introduces visible elements of the sacrifice.
Question Clause: ubi est victima holocausti? — interrogative clause expressing Isaac’s realization of what is missing.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  2. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of dixit; Translation: “Isaac”; Notes: The speaker in the dialogue.
  3. patri — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative masculine singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to his father”; Notes: Indicates recipient of address.
  4. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: dative masculine singular; Function: modifies patri; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Isaac’s own father.
  5. Pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: address; Translation: “father”; Notes: Direct form of address expressing affection.
  6. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: adjective (possessive); Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: modifies pater; Translation: “my”; Notes: Endearing addition emphasizing closeness.
  7. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast or reply; Translation: “but”; Notes: Common in narrative to mark response.
  8. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of respondit; Translation: “he”; Notes: Refers to Abraham.
  9. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Standard verb introducing replies.
  10. Quid — Lemma: quis; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative neuter singular; Function: direct object of vis; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces a direct question.
  11. vis — Lemma: volo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active second person singular; Function: predicate; Translation: “do you want”; Notes: Expresses inquiry about Isaac’s intent.
  12. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative masculine singular; Function: address; Translation: “my son”; Notes: Expression of tenderness from Abraham.
  13. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: calls attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Used to draw attention to visible items.
  14. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb (defective); Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: parenthetical; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Often inserted to clarify speaker in dialogues.
  15. ignis — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “fire”; Notes: First element of Isaac’s observation.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects ignis and ligna.
  17. ligna — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter plural; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: “wood”; Notes: The material for the burnt offering.
  18. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: adverb (interrogative); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces question; Translation: “where”; Notes: Initiates inquiry on missing sacrifice.
  19. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate noun.
  20. victima — Lemma: victima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject of est; Translation: “victim”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial animal.
  21. holocausti — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: “of the burnt offering”; Notes: Defines the purpose of the victim sought.

 

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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