Genesis 18:2

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:2 Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum: quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.

And when he lifted up his eyes, three men appeared to him standing near him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed himself to the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 elevasset had lifted 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
3 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
4 apparuerunt appeared 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
6 tres three NOM.PL.M.NUM
7 viri men NOM.PL.M
8 stantes standing NOM.PL.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
9 prope near PREP+ACC
10 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
11 quos whom ACC.PL.M.REL.PRON
12 cum when CONJ
13 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
14 cucurrit ran 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 in into / to PREP+ACC
16 occursum meeting ACC.SG.M
17 eorum of them GEN.PL.M.PRON
18 de from PREP+ABL
19 ostio entrance ABL.SG.N
20 tabernaculi of the tent GEN.SG.N
21 et and CONJ
22 adoravit bowed himself 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
23 in to / toward PREP+ACC
24 terram ground ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque elevasset oculos — Introduced by cumque (“and when”), using the pluperfect subjunctive elevasset (“had lifted”), marking a preceding or simultaneous action to the main clause.
Main Clause 1: apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum — tres viri (“three men”) is the subject; apparuerunt (“appeared”) is the main verb; ei (“to him”) indicates the recipient (Abraham); stantes prope eum (“standing near him”) forms a participial phrase modifying “viri.”
Subordinate Clause: quos cum vidisset — relative pronoun quos (“whom”) connects to the next clause; cum vidisset (“when he had seen”) again uses a pluperfect subjunctive for temporal nuance.
Main Clause 2: cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi — cucurrit (“he ran”) is the main verb; in occursum eorum (“to meet them”) expresses motion toward; de ostio tabernaculi (“from the entrance of the tent”) gives the source of motion.
Final Clause: et adoravit in terram — adoravit (“he bowed himself”) expresses reverence or homage; in terram (“to the ground”) indicates the direction of his physical posture.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: compound temporal conjunction; Function: introduces a subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Marks the transition to a new visionary moment in the narrative.
  2. elevasset — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb in the temporal clause; Translation: “had lifted”; Notes: Denotes a completed preparatory action preceding the appearance.
  3. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “elevasset”; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Expresses the physical act of perception preceding revelation.
  4. apparuerunt — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb of the clause; Translation: “appeared”; Notes: Describes divine or angelic manifestation to Abraham.
  5. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as the recipient of the vision.
  6. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies “viri”; Translation: “three”; Notes: Specifies number of divine visitors or angels.
  7. viri — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “men”; Notes: The apparitional figures representing divine messengers.
  8. stantes — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural masculine, present active; Function: modifies “viri”; Translation: “standing”; Notes: Depicts their posture upon appearance, suggesting readiness.
  9. prope — Lemma: prope; Part of Speech: preposition/adverb; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses proximity; Translation: “near”; Notes: Indicates nearness of the vision to Abraham’s tent.
  10. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “prope”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abraham as the focus of divine encounter.
  11. quos — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of “vidisset”; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Connects to “tres viros,” linking subordinate perception clause.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Signals dependent clause expressing simultaneity.
  13. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: Marks perception immediately preceding his action of hospitality.
  14. cucurrit — Lemma: curro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “ran”; Notes: Expresses Abraham’s swift and eager hospitality.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: “to / into”; Notes: Introduces goal of motion phrase.
  16. occursum — Lemma: occursus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “meeting”; Notes: Common idiom “in occursum ire,” meaning “to go to meet.”
  17. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies “occursum”; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to the three men, specifying whom Abraham met.
  18. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks motion out of a location.
  19. ostio — Lemma: ostium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “entrance”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s tent door, his place of vigil.
  20. tabernaculi — Lemma: tabernaculum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the tent”; Notes: Specifies Abraham’s dwelling structure.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects Abraham’s action of running and bowing.
  22. adoravit — Lemma: adoro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “bowed himself”; Notes: Expresses an act of reverence and hospitality, possibly divine acknowledgment.
  23. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Marks the goal of the gesture.
  24. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “ground”; Notes: Expresses posture of humility and veneration before the divine visitors.

 

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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