Genesis 28:4

Posted on January 28, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 28:4 Et det tibi benedictiones Abrahæ, et semini tuo post te: ut possideas terram peregrinationis tuæ, quam pollicitus est avo tuo.

And may He give to you the blessings of Abraham, and to your offspring after you, so that you may possess the land of your sojourning, which He promised to your grandfather.”

# Latin Gloss GRAMMAR TAG
1 Et and CONJ
2 det may give 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 tibi to you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
4 benedictiones blessings ACC.PL.F
5 Abrahæ of Abraham GEN.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 semini to offspring / seed DAT.SG.N
8 tuo your DAT.SG.N.POSS.ADJ
9 post after PREP+ACC
10 te you ACC.SG.2P.PRON
11 ut so that SUB.CONJ
12 possideas you may possess 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 terram land ACC.SG.F
14 peregrinationis of sojourning / pilgrimage GEN.SG.F
15 tuæ your GEN.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
16 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
17 pollicitus he promised PERF.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
18 est is / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
19 avo to grandfather DAT.SG.M
20 tuo your DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Et det tibi benedictiones Abrahæ — A jussive subjunctive (“may He give”) expressing Isaac’s wish that Jacob inherit the covenantal blessing of Abraham.
Coordinated Clause: et semini tuo post te — Dative construction extending the blessing to Jacob’s descendants; “and to your offspring after you.”
Purpose Clause: ut possideas terram peregrinationis tuæ — Introduced by ut + subjunctive, indicating divine purpose: “so that you may possess the land of your sojourning.”
Relative Clause: quam pollicitus est avo tuo — “which He promised to your grandfather”; quam introduces a relative clause referring to “terram.” The verb pollicitus est (perfect deponent construction) expresses a completed divine promise to Abraham.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links this blessing with the preceding sentence, forming one continuous benediction.
  2. det — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: main verb of wish; Translation: “may give”; Notes: Optative subjunctive; expresses a prayerful wish of divine bestowal.
  3. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular second person; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Recipient of the blessing; marks Jacob as the covenant heir.
  4. benedictiones — Lemma: benedictio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “det”; Translation: “blessings”; Notes: Refers to divine promises of land, posterity, and prosperity.
  5. Abrahæ — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “benedictiones”; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: Identifies the origin of the covenant blessing passed through patriarchal succession.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: joins parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects blessings given to Jacob and those given to his seed.
  7. semini — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to offspring / seed”; Notes: Used collectively for descendants; theological continuation of covenantal lineage.
  8. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular neuter; Function: modifies “semini”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes familial connection between Jacob and his future generations.
  9. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses time succession; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates posterity following Jacob in time.
  10. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “post”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Marks succession after Jacob’s lifetime — his descendants inherit the promise.
  11. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: subordinating conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Expresses the purpose of the divine blessing — inheritance of the land.
  12. possideas — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active 2nd person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you may possess”; Notes: Subjunctive conveys desired result; echoes divine gift of land to patriarchs.
  13. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “possideas”; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the Promised Land — central to the covenant theme.
  14. peregrinationis — Lemma: peregrinatio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of description modifying “terram”; Translation: “of sojourning”; Notes: Reflects Jacob’s and Abraham’s status as resident aliens awaiting fulfillment of divine promise.
  15. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “peregrinationis”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personalizes the temporary status of Jacob within the land destined to be his inheritance.
  16. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause referring to “terram”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects the land Jacob will inherit to the prior divine promise.
  17. pollicitus — Lemma: polliceor; Part of Speech: deponent verb (participle); Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate within relative clause; Translation: “promised”; Notes: Deponent construction meaning “he has promised,” with perfect aspect referring to God’s covenant with Abraham.
  18. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary verb completing perfect deponent; Translation: “has / is”; Notes: Supports pollicitus in perfect tense; typical for deponent verbs in Vulgate syntax.
  19. avo — Lemma: avus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “pollicitus est”; Translation: “to grandfather”; Notes: Refers to Abraham, the patriarchal recipient of the original promise.
  20. tuo — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: modifies “avo”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Identifies Abraham as Jacob’s ancestor; the continuity of the blessing across generations underscores covenant permanence.

 

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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