Genesis 32:9

Posted on February 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Dixitque Iacob: Deus patris mei Abraham, et Deus patris mei Isaac: Domine qui dixisti mihi: Revertere in terram tuam, et in locum nativitatis tuæ, et benefaciam tibi:

And Jacob said: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, LORD who said to me, Return to your land and to the place of your birth, and I will do good to you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 Iacob Jacob NOM.SG.M
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
5 mei my GEN.SG.M.PRON
6 Abraham Abraham GEN.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 Deus God NOM.SG.M
9 patris of the father GEN.SG.M
10 mei my GEN.SG.M.PRON
11 Isaac Isaac GEN.SG.M
12 Domine LORD VOC.SG.M
13 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL
14 dixisti you said 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 mihi to me DAT.SG.PRON
16 Revertere return 2SG.FUT.MID.IMP (DEPONENT FORM)
17 in into PREP+ACC
18 terram land ACC.SG.F
19 tuam your ACC.SG.F
20 et and CONJ
21 in into PREP+ACC
22 locum place ACC.SG.M
23 nativitatis of birth GEN.SG.F
24 tuæ your GEN.SG.F
25 et and CONJ
26 benefaciam I will do good 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
27 tibi to you DAT.SG.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Iacob — the main verb introduces Jacob’s prayer.
Invocation: Deus patris mei Abraham, et Deus patris mei Isaac — vocative expressions identifying YHWH through ancestral lineage.
Apposition: Domine qui dixisti mihi — the LORD addressed through a relative clause specifying divine command.
Quoted Commands: Revertere in terram tuam, et in locum nativitatis tuæ — two imperatives expressing divine instruction.
Promise: et benefaciam tibi — independent clause showing divine reassurance in future tense.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect active indicative + enclitic -que; Function: narrative main verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Enclitic -que joins the action closely with the preceding narrative event.
  2. Iacob — Lemma: Iacob; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “Jacob”; Notes: The speaker, patriarch of Yisraʾel, addressing God in direct prayer.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: vocative used as invocation; Translation: “God”; Notes: First address in the prayer identifying God by patriarchal descent.
  4. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Expresses relationship to Abraham and Isaac.
  5. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces familial lineage.
  6. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: complements patris mei; Translation: “of Abraham”; Notes: Patriarchal ancestor invoked as covenantal reference.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: joins parallel invocations; Translation: “and”; Notes: Unites the two divine titles as a single continuous address.
  8. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: vocative repetition; Translation: “God”; Notes: Emphasizes divine continuity between generations.
  9. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Same possessive structure as in line 4.
  10. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies patris; Translation: “my”; Notes: Refers now to Isaac, emphasizing covenant inheritance.
  11. Isaac — Lemma: Isaac; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: complements patris mei; Translation: “of Isaac”; Notes: Continuity of patriarchal covenantal lineage.
  12. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address to YHWH; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Sacred invocation reserved for the divine name YHWH.
  13. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of dixisti; Translation: “who”; Notes: Connects LORD to the preceding divine action.
  14. dixisti — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person singular perfect active indicative; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “you said”; Notes: References prior divine command.
  15. mihi — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to me”; Notes: Jacob as recipient of divine message.
  16. Revertere — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd person singular future imperative; Function: command; Translation: “return”; Notes: Deponent imperative used as direct divine instruction.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Introduces destination.
  18. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to promised homeland.
  19. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies terram; Translation: “your”; Notes: Emphasizes personal inheritance.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins parallel clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds second destination clause.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces second destination; Translation: “into”; Notes: Precedes locum.
  22. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to birthplace or homeland.
  23. nativitatis — Lemma: nativitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of birth”; Notes: Genitive dependent on locum.
  24. tuæ — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies nativitatis; Translation: “your”; Notes: Reinforces personal connection to homeland.
  25. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: joins promise clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks transition from command to promise.
  26. benefaciam — Lemma: benefacio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 1st person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of divine promise; Translation: “I will do good”; Notes: Covenant assurance using future tense.
  27. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Emphasizes God’s benevolence directed toward Jacob.

 

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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