Genesis 27:26

Posted on January 27, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

26 dixit ad eum: Accede ad me, et da mihi osculum, fili mi.

he said to him: “Come near to me, and give me a kiss, my son.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 dixit he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.3RD.PRON
4 Accede come near 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
6 me me ACC.SG.1ST.PRON
7 et and CONJ
8 da give 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMP
9 mihi to me DAT.SG.1ST.PRON
10 osculum kiss ACC.SG.N
11 fili son VOC.SG.M
12 mi my VOC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: dixit ad eum — “He said to him.” The prepositional phrase ad eum marks the indirect object of the verb of speaking.
Imperative Clause 1: Accede ad me — “Come near to me.” The imperative accede expresses a direct command, while ad me shows movement toward the speaker (Isaac).
Imperative Clause 2: et da mihi osculum — “and give me a kiss.” The conjunction et joins two imperatives in sequence, with mihi as dative of indirect object and osculum as direct object.
Vocative Phrase: fili mi — “my son.” Expresses tenderness and paternal affection, reinforcing the emotional tone before the blessing.

Morphology

  1. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of saying; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Introduces Isaac’s final spoken request before blessing Jacob.
  2. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction or recipient; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Indicates the addressee of speech.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Jacob, the listener.
  4. Accede — Lemma: accedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: command; Translation: “come near”; Notes: Invitation for physical closeness prior to affection.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Reinforces spatial movement in “Accede ad me.”
  6. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Isaac, the one being approached.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: coordinates imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two commands into one continuous appeal.
  8. da — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present imperative active 2nd person singular; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “give”; Notes: Requests the act of showing affection by gesture.
  9. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Indicates the receiver of the kiss.
  10. osculum — Lemma: osculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “da”; Translation: “kiss”; Notes: Represents physical affection and the symbol of intimacy preceding blessing.
  11. fili — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “son”; Notes: Warm, paternal address expressing affection.
  12. mi — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: modifies “fili”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes paternal intimacy and tenderness.

 

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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