Genesis 18:32

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:32 Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris Domine, si loquar adhuc semel: Quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem? Et dixit: Non delebo propter decem.

“I beg,” he said, “let not the Lord be angry if I speak yet once more: What if ten are found there?” And He said: “I will not destroy because of ten.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Obsecro I beg / I entreat 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
2 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 ne do not / let not PART.NEG.SUBJ
4 irascaris you be angry 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
6 si if CONJ.COND
7 loquar I speak / may speak 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (DEPONENT)
8 adhuc still / yet ADV
9 semel once / one more time ADV
10 Quid what / what if INTERROG.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
11 si if CONJ.COND
12 inventa found NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
13 fuerint should be / have been 3PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
14 ibi there ADV
15 decem ten NUM.INDECL
16 Et and CONJ
17 dixit He said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 Non not ADV
19 delebo I will destroy 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 propter because of / for the sake of PREP+ACC
21 decem ten NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Plea of Reverence: Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris Domine — The verb obsecro is an earnest entreaty, “I beg,” paired with the negative subjunctive ne irascaris (“let not [You] be angry”). The vocative Domine shows humility before the LORD.
Conditional Permission: si loquar adhuc semel — The subjunctive loquar (from loquor) conveys a deferential tone, “if I may speak.” The adverbs adhuc semel add, “yet once more,” showing Abraham’s awareness that this is his final plea.
Hypothetical Question: Quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem? — The future perfect fuerint introduces another condition in this series of intercessions. The implied subject is “righteous men.”
Divine Response: Et dixit: Non delebo propter decem. — The LORD’s final answer mirrors the pattern of mercy. Non delebo (“I will not destroy”) expresses forbearance; propter decem reveals the minimal condition of righteousness required for the city’s preservation.

Morphology

  1. Obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, first person singular; Function: expresses earnest plea; Translation: “I beg / I entreat”; Notes: A strong appeal word often used in intercessory speech to invoke divine compassion.
  2. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Formulaic in Latin narrative for speech continuation.
  3. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: particle; Form: negative with subjunctive; Function: introduces polite prohibition; Translation: “do not / let not”; Notes: Expresses deference when requesting divine patience.
  4. irascaris — Lemma: irascor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: main verb of prohibition; Translation: “you be angry”; Notes: Deponent form with active meaning; subjunctive used for softened prohibition.
  5. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Reverent title directed to YHWH, expressing Abraham’s humility.
  6. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Marks the conditional structure of Abraham’s petition.
  7. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: verb of polite condition; Translation: “I may speak”; Notes: Conveys deferential tone and hesitation.
  8. adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: “still / yet”; Notes: Indicates continuation of intercession.
  9. semel — Lemma: semel; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “loquar”; Translation: “once / one more time”; Notes: Emphasizes that this is Abraham’s final plea.
  10. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “what / what if”; Notes: Continues pattern of intercessory inquiry.
  11. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes the condition under which divine mercy is sought.
  12. inventa — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “found”; Notes: Implies “righteous persons” as the subject understood from context.
  13. fuerint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “should be / have been”; Notes: Indicates a completed hypothetical condition preceding divine response.
  14. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies the location—Sodom.
  15. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical subject; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Represents the lowest point in Abraham’s negotiation.
  16. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects divine response; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins this final response to the preceding plea.
  17. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “He said”; Notes: Introduces final divine declaration.
  18. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the act of judgment in response to the condition.
  19. delebo — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will destroy”; Notes: Used negatively with non: “I will not destroy,” expressing divine mercy.
  20. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses cause; Translation: “because of / for the sake of”; Notes: Introduces rationale for mercy.
  21. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “ten”; Notes: The final number sealing the negotiation; reflects divine patience toward the minimal righteous remnant.

 

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.