Genesis 24:9

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 24:9 Posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui, et iuravit illi super sermone hoc.

Then the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and he swore to him concerning this matter.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Posuit placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore / then CONJ
3 servus servant NOM.SG.M
4 manum hand ACC.SG.F
5 sub under PREP+ABL
6 femore thigh ABL.SG.N
7 Abraham Abraham GEN.SG.M
8 domini of (his) lord GEN.SG.M
9 sui his GEN.SG.M.REFL.PRON
10 et and CONJ
11 iuravit swore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 illi to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
13 super upon / concerning PREP+ABL
14 sermone word / matter ABL.SG.M
15 hoc this ABL.SG.N.DEM

Syntax

Main Clause: Posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui — the first clause describes a solemn action of oath-taking.
The subject servus performs the main verb posuit, with manum as direct object and sub femore Abraham domini sui as a prepositional phrase marking location and relational context.
Coordinated Clause: et iuravit illi super sermone hoc — expresses the verbal act of swearing; iuravit (verb) + illi (indirect object, “to him”) + super sermone hoc (prepositional phrase) meaning “concerning this matter.”
This syntax links physical gesture with spoken oath: the servant’s gesture under the thigh of Abraham symbolized binding covenantal submission and reverence in ancient Near Eastern custom.

Morphology

  1. Posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of first clause; Translation: “placed”; Notes: Marks completed ceremonial action.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Inferential particle; Function: Connects result or consequence; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Indicates narrative sequence.
  3. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative Singular Masculine; Function: Subject of posuit; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s elder steward.
  4. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative Singular Feminine; Function: Direct object of posuit; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Symbol of oath-taking gesture.
  5. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Indicates physical position; Translation: “under”; Notes: Used with ablative when implying rest rather than motion.
  6. femore — Lemma: femur; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Object of sub; Translation: “thigh”; Notes: Site of covenant oath in patriarchal tradition, symbolizing posterity.
  7. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: Proper Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying domini; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: Retains Hebrew form as indeclinable name.
  8. domini — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Genitive dependent on Abraham; Translation: “of (his) lord”; Notes: Denotes Abraham’s authority.
  9. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive Pronoun; Form: Genitive Singular Masculine; Function: Modifies domini; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, refers back to servus.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links two main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential conjunction joining actions.
  11. iuravit — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect Active Indicative 3rd Person Singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “swore”; Notes: Denotes solemn oath affirmation.
  12. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative Singular Masculine; Function: Indirect object of iuravit; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, the recipient of the oath.
  13. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs Ablative; Function: Introduces topic or matter of oath; Translation: “upon / concerning”; Notes: Often used with oath contexts meaning “about.”
  14. sermone — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative Singular Masculine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “word / matter”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s instructions.
  15. hoc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative Pronoun; Form: Ablative Singular Neuter; Function: Modifies sermone; Translation: “this”; Notes: Specifies the current oath’s subject.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.