Genesis 18:27

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:27 Respondensque Abraham, ait: Quia semel cœpi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.

And Abraham answered and said: “Since I have begun once, I will speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Respondensque and answering NOM.SG.M.PERF.ACT.PTCP + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
3 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Quia since / because CONJ.CAUS
5 semel once ADV
6 cœpi I have begun 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 loquar I will speak 1SG.FUT/DEP.SUBJ.PASS (DEPONENT)
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 Dominum Lord ACC.SG.M
10 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
11 cum although / though CONJ
12 sim I am 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
13 pulvis dust NOM.SG.M
14 et and CONJ
15 cinis ashes NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Opening Clause: Respondensque Abraham, ait — The participle Respondens with the enclitic -que creates a smooth transition: “And Abraham, answering, said.” This introduces a new stage in his humble dialogue with YHWH.
Subordinate Clause: Quia semel cœpi — The conjunction quia expresses cause or reason: “since I have once begun.” Abraham acknowledges his boldness in speaking to the LORD.
Main Clause: loquar ad Dominum meum — The deponent verb loquar is future or potential subjunctive, meaning “I will speak” or “may I speak.” The phrase ad Dominum meum expresses reverence toward “my Lord.”
Concessive Clause: cum sim pulvis et cinis — The subjunctive sim (from sum) with cum conveys concession (“though I am”). The paired nouns pulvis et cinis (“dust and ashes”) form a self-humbling idiom expressing human frailty before divine majesty.

Morphology

  1. Respondensque — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: participle + enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative singular masculine, present active participle + -que; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “and answering”; Notes: Links Abraham’s response to the LORD’s previous statement, showing continuity of respectful dialogue.
  2. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “ait”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: The patriarch acting as intercessor and representative of humanity’s plea for mercy.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Formulaic expression introducing direct speech in narrative style.
  4. Quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “since”; Notes: Marks the reason Abraham continues to speak despite humility.
  5. semel — Lemma: semel; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “cœpi”; Translation: “once”; Notes: Suggests cautious persistence—Abraham has begun and will proceed carefully.
  6. cœpi — Lemma: coepio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “I have begun”; Notes: Perfect tense reflects completed initiative to address God.
  7. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: future or potential subjunctive, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will speak”; Notes: Expresses humble intention to continue speaking; deponent form has active meaning.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks the person addressed.
  9. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Refers here to אדני (Adonai) as the object of reverence and conversation.
  10. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “Dominum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Adds personal devotion and relational intimacy to the address.
  11. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces concessive clause; Translation: “though”; Notes: Signals Abraham’s humility in acknowledging human frailty.
  12. sim — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: verb of concessive clause; Translation: “I am”; Notes: Subjunctive used in concessive sense with “cum.”
  13. pulvis — Lemma: pulvis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: “dust”; Notes: Symbol of mortality and insignificance.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects parallel metaphors of human frailty.
  15. cinis — Lemma: cinis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: complement to “pulvis”; Translation: “ashes”; Notes: Completes the Hebrew idiom (“dust and ashes”), expressing penitence and humility.

 

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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