Genesis 11:31

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:31 Tulit itaque Thare Abram filium suum, et Lot filium Aran, filium filii sui, et Sarai nurum suam, uxorem Abram filii sui, et eduxit eos de Ur Chaldæorum, ut irent in terram Chanaan: veneruntque usque Haran, et habitaverunt ibi.

Therefore Thare took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Aran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and he brought them out of Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Chanaan; and they came as far as Haran and lived there.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 itaque therefore CONJ.ADV
3 Thare Thare NOM.SG.M
4 Abram Abram ACC.SG.M
5 filium son ACC.SG.M
6 suum his ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M
9 filium son ACC.SG.M
10 Aran of Aran GEN.SG.M
11 filium son ACC.SG.M
12 filii of the son GEN.SG.M
13 sui his ADJ.POSS.GEN.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 Sarai Sarai ACC.SG.F
16 nurum daughter-in-law ACC.SG.F
17 suam his ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.F
18 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
19 Abram of Abram GEN.SG.M
20 filii of the son GEN.SG.M
21 sui his ADJ.POSS.GEN.SG.M
22 et and CONJ
23 eduxit brought out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
24 eos them ACC.PL.M
25 de from PREP+ABL
26 Ur Ur ABL.SG.F
27 Chaldæorum of the Chaldeans GEN.PL.M
28 ut so that / in order that CONJ.PURP
29 irent they might go 3PL.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
30 in into PREP+ACC
31 terram land ACC.SG.F
32 Chanaan Chanaan GEN.SG.M (as indeclinable proper name)
33 veneruntque and they came 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
34 usque as far as PREP+ACC
35 Haran Haran ACC.SG.M
36 et and CONJ
37 habitaverunt they lived / dwelt 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
38 ibi there ADV.LOC

Syntax

Main Clause: Tulit itaque Thare Abram filium suum… — subject Thare with verb tulit; several coordinated accusative objects list family members taken from Ur.
Purpose Clause: ut irent in terram Chanaan — subjunctive verb irent expresses purpose, “so that they might go into the land of Chanaan.”
Coordinate Clause 1: veneruntque usque Haran — perfect tense with enclitic “-que,” meaning “and they came as far as Haran.”
Coordinate Clause 2: et habitaverunt ibi — continues the narrative with final settlement action, “and they lived there.”

Morphology

  1. Tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of initial clause; Translation: “took / brought”; Notes: Introduces Thare’s decisive action of gathering family members for departure.
  2. itaque — Lemma: itaque; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Logical connector; Translation: “therefore / so”; Notes: Signals consequence flowing from the preceding narrative context.
  3. Thare — Lemma: Thare; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Thare”; Notes: Patriarch directing the migration.
  4. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable in Vulgate usage); Function: Direct object (first person taken); Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Identified further by apposition filium suum.
  5. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Abram; Translation: “son”; Notes: Clarifies Abram’s relation to Thare.
  6. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies filium; Translation: “his (own)”; Notes: Reflexive, referring back to subject Thare.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds the next person taken.
  8. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Coordinated direct object; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: Further specified by following genitives.
  9. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Lot; Translation: “(the) son”; Notes: Begins a genitival chain identifying Lot’s father.
  10. Aran — Lemma: Aran; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine (indeclinable form in Vulgate); Function: Dependent genitive on filium; Translation: “of Aran”; Notes: Names Lot’s father.
  11. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition resuming Lot’s status; Translation: “(the) son”; Notes: Sets up the next genitive “of his son.”
  12. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of (the) son”; Notes: Part of the phrase “the son of his son,” i.e., grandson.
  13. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective/pronominal; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies filii; Translation: “his (own)”; Notes: Reflexive to Thare, confirming Lot as Thare’s grandson.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds another object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces Sarai.
  15. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: Coordinated direct object; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Further described by apposition.
  16. nurum — Lemma: nurus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Apposition to Sarai; Translation: “daughter-in-law”; Notes: Identifies Sarai’s relation within Thare’s household.
  17. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies nurum; Translation: “his (own)”; Notes: Reflexive to Thare.
  18. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Further apposition to Sarai; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Introduces possessive genitives to follow.
  19. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine (indeclinable in Vulgate usage); Function: Dependent genitive on uxorem; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: Specifies whose wife Sarai is.
  20. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive in apposition to Abram; Translation: “(the) son (of)”; Notes: Part of the chain “Abram, (the) son of his (Thare’s).”
  21. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective/pronominal; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies filii; Translation: “his (own)”; Notes: Again reflexive to Thare.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links to the next finite verb; Translation: “and”; Notes: Moves narrative from listing to action.
  23. eduxit — Lemma: educo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “brought out / led out”; Notes: Describes departure from Ur under Thare’s leadership.
  24. eos — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of eduxit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the family group just enumerated.
  25. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Marks source; Translation: “from / out of”; Notes: Introduces place of origin.
  26. Ur — Lemma: Ur; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative singular (indeclinable, treated as feminine locale); Function: Object of de; Translation: “Ur”; Notes: Mesopotamian city of departure.
  27. Chaldæorum — Lemma: Chaldæi; Part of Speech: Noun (ethnic); Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Dependent genitive on Ur; Translation: “of the Chaldeans”; Notes: Specifies the region/cultural designation.
  28. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Subordinating conjunction; Form: Introduces purpose clause; Function: Expresses intended outcome; Translation: “so that / in order that”; Notes: Governs subjunctive verb irent.
  29. irent — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person plural; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “they might go”; Notes: Imperfect subjunctive after ut denotes prospective motion.
  30. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative (motion toward); Function: Marks destination; Translation: “into”; Notes: With accusative indicates movement toward a place.
  31. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Destination specified further by proper name.
  32. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular (indeclinable place-name functioning as dependent genitive); Function: Modifies terram; Translation: “of Chanaan”; Notes: Appositional/genitival naming of the land.
  33. veneruntque — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb (+ enclitic); Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural + enclitic “-que”; Function: Main verb of subsequent clause; Translation: “and they came”; Notes: “-que” links arrival to the purpose movement.
  34. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Preposition/adverb; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks limit of motion; Translation: “as far as / up to”; Notes: Sets the terminus of the journey.
  35. Haran — Lemma: Haran; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular (indeclinable place-name); Function: Object of usque; Translation: “Haran”; Notes: Destination reached (not yet Canaan).
  36. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links final action; Translation: “and”; Notes: Moves from arrival to settlement.
  37. habitaverunt — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they lived / settled”; Notes: Concludes the migration episode with residence.
  38. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Adverb of place; Function: Locative modifier; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers back to Haran as the place of dwelling.

 

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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