Genesis 14:12

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:12 necnon et Lot et substantiam eius, filium fratris Abram, qui habitabat in Sodomis.

And also Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, and his substance, who was dwelling in Sodom.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 necnon and also CONJ.ADV
2 et and CONJ
3 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
4 et and CONJ
5 substantiam substance / possessions ACC.SG.F
6 eius his GEN.SG.M
7 filium son ACC.SG.M
8 fratris of (the) brother GEN.SG.M
9 Abram Abram GEN.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
10 qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
11 habitabat was dwelling 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
12 in in PREP+ABL
13 Sodomis in Sodom ABL.PL.F (INDECL. HEBR.)

Syntax

Main Clause: necnon et Lot et substantiam eius — compound direct object of implied tulerunt from previous verse, expanding the plunder to include Lot and his property.
Apposition: filium fratris Abram — identifies Lot by family relation, in apposition to Lot.
Relative Clause: qui habitabat in Sodomis — modifies Lot, explaining his residence in Sodom at the time of capture.

Morphology

  1. necnon — Lemma: necnon; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinating conjunction of addition; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Strengthens the connection to the previous clause, emphasizing the inclusion of Lot among those taken captive.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins Lot and his possessions as co-objects of the verb implied from context.
  3. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Direct object; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: Patriarch Abram’s nephew, captured along with Sodom’s spoils.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Lot and substantiam eius within the same accusative construction.
  5. substantiam — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object coordinated with Lot; Translation: “property / substance”; Notes: Denotes Lot’s material possessions, taken by the invading kings.
  6. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of substantiam; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Lot; personal genitive construction.
  7. filium — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Appositive to Lot; Translation: “son”; Notes: Clarifies Lot’s relationship to Abram by descent.
  8. fratris — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of relation; Translation: “of (the) brother”; Notes: Completes familial specification of filium.
  9. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Genitive dependent on fratris; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: Identifies the patriarch; this form keeps Hebrew phonetic fidelity.
  10. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of subordinate clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Lot, introducing the descriptive clause.
  11. habitabat — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “was dwelling”; Notes: Imperfect tense denotes continuous residence in Sodom prior to capture.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Locative preposition; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces location of residence.
  13. Sodomis — Lemma: Sodoma; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Object of in; Translation: “in Sodom”; Notes: Indicates Lot’s settled life among the Sodomites, setting up the later rescue narrative.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.