Genesis 24:12

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:12 Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, occurre, obsecro, mihi hodie, et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham.

“LORD, God of my master Abraham, I pray, meet me today and show kindness to my master Abraham.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Domine LORD VOC.SG.M
2 Deus God NOM.SG.M
3 domini of (my) master GEN.SG.M
4 mei my GEN.SG.M.PRON
5 Abraham Abraham GEN.SG.M.PROPN
6 occurre meet 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
7 obsecro I pray / I beseech 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
9 hodie today ADV
10 et and CONJ
11 fac make / do 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
12 misericordiam kindness / mercy ACC.SG.F
13 cum with PREP+ABL
14 domino master ABL.SG.M
15 meo my ABL.SG.M.PRON
16 Abraham Abraham ABL.SG.M.PROPN

Syntax

Vocative Invocation: Domine Deus domini mei Abraham — direct address combining reverence and relation: “LORD, God of my master Abraham.” The phrase blends the divine title with covenant lineage.
Main Petition: occurre, obsecro, mihi hodie — two verbs express urgency: occurre (imperative, “meet”) and obsecro (indicative of appeal, “I beseech”). The dative mihi marks the beneficiary, with hodie specifying immediacy, “today.”
Coordinated Request: et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham — second imperative, “and show kindness with my master Abraham.” The preposition cum governs domino meo Abraham, forming an idiomatic plea for divine favor upon Abraham’s servant and mission.
The syntax presents a reverent, direct prayer composed of two imperatives framed by heartfelt invocation.

Morphology

  1. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Vocative Singular Masculine; Function: Direct address to YHWH; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Used vocatively to denote reverence and supplication.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Apposition to Domine; Translation: “God”; Notes: Title reinforcing divine authority.
  3. domini — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of Deus; Translation: “of (my) master”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as the servant’s earthly superior.
  4. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies domini; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses possession and fidelity.
  5. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Appositive to domini mei; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Retains Hebrew form, indeclinable in Classical Latin.
  6. occurre — Lemma: occurro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of command; Translation: “meet / assist”; Notes: Commonly used for divine providence or intervention.
  7. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Indicative 1st Person Singular; Function: Parenthetical appeal; Translation: “I pray / I beseech”; Notes: Intensifies emotional plea, softening the imperative.
  8. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular; Function: Indirect object of occurre; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates recipient of divine favor.
  9. hodie — Lemma: hodie; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverb of time; Translation: “today”; Notes: Stresses immediacy of the request.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins parallel petitions.
  11. fac — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present Active Imperative 2nd Person Singular; Function: Second imperative of command; Translation: “make / do”; Notes: Expresses divine action of bestowing mercy.
  12. misericordiam — Lemma: misericordia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of fac; Translation: “kindness / mercy”; Notes: Root of Hebrew ḥesed, covenantal loyalty.
  13. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Marks association; Translation: “with”; Notes: Links divine mercy to Abraham.
  14. domino — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “master”; Notes: Refers again to Abraham.
  15. meo — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies domino; Translation: “my”; Notes: Agrees in case, number, and gender with domino.
  16. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Apposition to domino meo; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Used in the same indeclinable form in the ablative phrase.

 

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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