Genesis 18:29

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:29 Rursumque locutus est ad eum: Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies? Ait: Non percutiam propter quadraginta.

And again he spoke to Him: “But if forty are found there, what will You do?” He said: “I will not strike because of forty.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 locutus having spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP (DEPONENT)
3 est he has / he did 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
6 Sin but if CONJ.COND
7 autem however CONJ.ADV
8 quadraginta forty NUM.INDECL
9 ibi there ADV
10 inventa found NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
11 fuerint should be / have been 3PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
12 quid what INTERROG.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
13 facies will You do 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
14 Ait He said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 Non not ADV
16 percutiam I will not strike 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 propter because of / for the sake of PREP+ACC
18 quadraginta forty NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Rursumque locutus est ad eum — The adverb rursum with enclitic -que means “and again,” linking this verse to the previous exchange. The perfect deponent locutus est functions actively, meaning “he spoke.” The prepositional phrase ad eum marks the addressee, the LORD.
Conditional Clause: Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint — The phrase Sin autem (“but if, however”) introduces another stage in Abraham’s negotiation. The verb fuerint (future perfect) indicates a hypothetical discovery, while inventa (passive participle) agrees with an implied “iusti,” “righteous.”
Direct Question: quid facies? — Abraham’s rhetorical appeal continues: “What will You do?” The future facies anticipates divine decision.
Divine Response: Ait: Non percutiam propter quadraginta — The LORD replies with assurance of mercy. The verb percutiam (future active) promises restraint: “I will not strike.” The phrase propter quadraginta identifies the cause — the presence of forty righteous.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum; Part of Speech: adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects and emphasizes repetition; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Marks the continuation of Abraham’s reverent persistence.
  2. locutus — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, perfect participle; Function: main verb with auxiliary “est”; Translation: “having spoken / he spoke”; Notes: Deponent participle functioning actively.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: auxiliary forming perfect; Translation: “he has / he did”; Notes: Completes the deponent periphrasis “locutus est.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks addressee; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces person spoken to, i.e., the LORD.
  5. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to the LORD as the recipient of speech.
  6. Sin — Lemma: si + ne/enclitic; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: compound conditional; Function: introduces alternative condition; Translation: “but if”; Notes: Used in continuing conditional negotiation.
  7. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds contrastive nuance; Translation: “however”; Notes: Strengthens the transition between conditions.
  8. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical subject; Translation: “forty”; Notes: Indicates reduced number of righteous in Abraham’s petition.
  9. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the city of Sodom.
  10. inventa — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter, perfect passive; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “found”; Notes: Agrees with implied “righteous persons” (neuter plural in sense).
  11. fuerint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “should be”; Notes: Marks hypothetical discovery of righteous individuals.
  12. quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces direct question; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces Abraham’s rhetorical question.
  13. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “will You do”; Notes: Predictive or deliberative use anticipating divine action.
  14. Ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces reply; Translation: “He said”; Notes: Formulaic divine response in the dialogue.
  15. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies destructive intent.
  16. percutiam — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will strike”; Notes: Expresses restraint of divine judgment; literal meaning “to smite.”
  17. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: causal; Translation: “because of / for the sake of”; Notes: Introduces cause for divine mercy.
  18. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “forty”; Notes: Represents further reduction in Abraham’s negotiation, highlighting persistence and divine patience.

 

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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