Genesis 28:15

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:15 Et ero custos tuus quocumque perrexeris, et reducam te in terram hanc: nec dimittam nisi complevero universa quæ dixi.

And I will be your guardian wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land; nor will I leave you until I have completed all the things that I have spoken.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ero I will be 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
3 custos guardian NOM.SG.M
4 tuus your NOM.SG.M.PRON.ADJ
5 quocumque wherever REL.ADV
6 perrexeris you go 2SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
7 et and CONJ
8 reducam I will bring back 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 te you ACC.SG.PRON
10 in into PREP+ACC
11 terram land ACC.SG.F
12 hanc this ACC.SG.F.DEM
13 nec nor CONJ.NEG
14 dimittam I will leave 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
15 nisi unless CONJ
16 complevero I have completed 1SG.FUT.PERF.ACT.IND
17 universa all things ACC.PL.N
18 quæ which NOM.PL.N.REL
19 dixi I have spoken 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Et ero custos tuus — independent future indicative clause expressing divine assurance; custos serves as predicate nominative, linked by ero.
Relative Clause: quocumque perrexeris — adverbial clause of place expressing condition “wherever you go.”
Main Clause 2: et reducam te in terram hanc — another independent future indicative clause promising return.
Main Clause 3: nec dimittam nisi complevero universa quæ dixi — negative clause expressing divine persistence; nisi complevero introduces conditional exception, followed by a relative clause quæ dixi explaining divine declarations.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects sequential divine statements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins this promise to the preceding one.
  2. ero — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of clause; Translation: “I will be”; Notes: Expresses divine constancy in the future.
  3. custos — Lemma: custos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “guardian”; Notes: Title indicating protection and vigilance.
  4. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies custos; Translation: “your”; Notes: Marks personal possession of divine care.
  5. quocumque — Lemma: quocumque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: relative/indefinite; Function: introduces adverbial clause of place; Translation: “wherever”; Notes: Indicates universality of divine guidance.
  6. perrexeris — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 2nd person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you go”; Notes: Implies continued travel completed in the future.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links future clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues divine promises.
  8. reducam — Lemma: reduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: “I will bring back”; Notes: Indicates restoration to homeland.
  9. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: direct object of reducam; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as recipient of divine action.
  10. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Used with verb of motion.
  11. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Object of divine restoration.
  12. hanc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: pronoun/adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to the land of Jacob’s vision.
  13. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative coordinating; Function: introduces negative clause; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Emphasizes divine faithfulness.
  14. dimittam — Lemma: dimitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative 1st person singular; Function: main verb of negative clause; Translation: “I will leave”; Notes: Expresses divine commitment.
  15. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces exception clause; Translation: “unless”; Notes: Sets condition for cessation of divine action.
  16. complevero — Lemma: compleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative 1st person singular; Function: verb of conditional clause; Translation: “I have completed”; Notes: Marks completion before ending divine assistance.
  17. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective (substantivized); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of complevero; Translation: “all things”; Notes: Refers to divine promises previously made.
  18. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of dixi; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to divine statements.
  19. dixi — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative 1st person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “I have spoken”; Notes: Concludes with perfect tense emphasizing completed divine utterance.

 

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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