Genesis 28:13

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:13 et Dominum innixum scalæ dicentem sibi: Ego sum Dominus Deus Abraham patris tui, et Deus Isaac: Terram, in qua dormis, tibi dabo et semini tuo.

and the LORD leaning upon the ladder, saying to him: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land on which you sleep I will give to you and to your offspring.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M
3 innixum leaning ACC.SG.M.PART.PERF.PASS
4 scalæ of the ladder GEN.SG.F
5 dicentem saying ACC.SG.M.PART.PRES.ACT
6 sibi to him DAT.SG.M.REFL
7 Ego I NOM.SG.PRON
8 sum am 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
10 Deus God NOM.SG.M
11 Abraham Abraham GEN.SG.M.INVAR
12 patris of father GEN.SG.M
13 tui your GEN.SG.M.PRON
14 et and CONJ
15 Deus God NOM.SG.M
16 Isaac Isaac GEN.SG.M.INVAR
17 Terram land ACC.SG.F
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 qua which ABL.SG.F.REL
20 dormis you sleep 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
21 tibi to you DAT.SG.PRON
22 dabo I will give 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
23 et and CONJ
24 semini to offspring DAT.SG.N
25 tuo your DAT.SG.N.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: et Dominum innixum scalæ dicentem sibi — Accusative absolute construction functioning as part of the vision seen earlier; Dominum is the object of implied vidit from the previous verse.
dicentem sibi — participial phrase expressing speech directed to Jacob.
Quoted clause: Ego sum Dominus Deus Abraham patris tui et Deus Isaac — direct statement of divine self-identification.
Final independent clause: Terram in qua dormis tibi dabo et semini tuo — declaration of divine promise.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues narrative description.
  2. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of implied verb “he saw”; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, not a human lord.
  3. innixum — Lemma: innitor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular masculine perfect passive; Function: modifying Dominum; Translation: “leaning”; Notes: From deponent verb but passive in form, active in meaning.
  4. scalæ — Lemma: scala; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: object of innixum (“leaning upon”); Translation: “of the ladder”; Notes: Shows relationship of support.
  5. dicentem — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: accusative singular masculine present active; Function: modifying Dominum; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  6. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular reflexive; Function: indirect object of dicentem; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Reflexive referring to Jacob.
  7. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of sum; Translation: “I”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun of divine identity.
  8. sum — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 1st person singular; Function: copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: “am”; Notes: Statement of divine being.
  9. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, not a human master.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Indicates divine office or nature.
  11. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular invariant; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: Marks covenant lineage.
  12. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: part of possessive phrase; Translation: “of father”; Notes: Clarifies relationship to Jacob.
  13. tui — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifier of patris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s direct descent.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects divine titles.
  15. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative repeated for emphasis; Translation: “God”; Notes: Parallel to previous Deus.
  16. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular invariant; Function: genitive of possession with Deus; Translation: “of Isaac”; Notes: Second patriarch reference.
  17. Terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of dabo; Translation: “land”; Notes: Object of divine promise.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial reference.
  19. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of dormis; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to terrā.
  20. dormis — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative 2nd person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you sleep”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s resting place.
  21. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object of dabo; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipient of divine gift.
  22. dabo — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of promise; Translation: “I will give”; Notes: Covenant assurance in future tense.
  23. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links recipients; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Jacob and his offspring as beneficiaries.
  24. semini — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: indirect object of dabo; Translation: “to offspring”; Notes: Covenant term indicating descendants.
  25. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: modifier of semini; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personalizes the promise to Jacob’s lineage.

 

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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