Genesis 19:3

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:3 Compulit illos oppido ut diverterent ad eum: ingressisque domum illius fecit convivium, et coxit azyma: et comederunt.

And he strongly urged them so that they turned aside to him, and when they had entered his house, he made a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Compulit he urged / compelled 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 illos them ACC.PL.M.PRON
3 oppido strongly / exceedingly ADV
4 ut that / so that CONJ.PURPOSE
5 diverterent they might turn aside 3PL.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
6 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
7 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
8 ingressisque and having entered ABL.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PTCP + ENCLITIC -QUE
9 domum house ACC.SG.F
10 illius of him / his GEN.SG.M.PRON
11 fecit he made / prepared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 convivium feast / meal ACC.SG.N
13 et and CONJ
14 coxit he baked / cooked 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 azyma unleavened bread ACC.PL.N
16 et and CONJ
17 comederunt they ate 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Compulit illos oppido ut diverterent ad eum — The verb Compulit (“he urged”) governs a purpose clause introduced by ut with the subjunctive diverterent (“that they might turn aside”). The adverb oppido intensifies the urging (“earnestly,” “strongly”).
Temporal Clause: ingressisque domum illius — Ablative absolute construction (“and after they had entered his house”) describing the circumstance before the next action.
Subsequent Actions: fecit convivium, et coxit azyma, et comederunt — A series of perfect verbs narrating sequential hospitality acts: he made a feast, baked unleavened bread, and they ate. The simplicity of azyma recalls Abraham’s similar act in Genesis 18:6, highlighting righteous hospitality.

Morphology

  1. Compulit — Lemma: compello; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he urged / compelled”; Notes: Indicates earnest persuasion by Lot, emphasizing his insistence.
  2. illos — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “compulit”; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the angelic visitors.
  3. oppido — Lemma: oppido; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: “strongly / exceedingly”; Notes: Intensifies the verb “compulit.”
  4. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: links “compulit” with result clause; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Common in Latin for final clauses.
  5. diverterent — Lemma: divero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “they might turn aside”; Notes: Subjunctive reflects desired or intended outcome.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces direction; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Motion preposition signaling direction toward Lot.
  7. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Lot as the one being approached.
  8. ingressisque — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: deponent participle + enclitic; Form: ablative plural masculine, perfect passive in form (active in meaning) + -que; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “and having entered”; Notes: Deponent participle showing completed action prior to main clause.
  9. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of implied motion in participial phrase; Translation: “house”; Notes: Specifies the location entered.
  10. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “domum”; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s ownership of the home.
  11. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he made / prepared”; Notes: First in the sequence of hospitality actions.
  12. convivium — Lemma: convivium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “fecit”; Translation: “feast / meal”; Notes: Implies generous and communal dining.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequentially connects Lot’s further actions.
  14. coxit — Lemma: coquo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he baked / cooked”; Notes: Signifies hands-on preparation of food by Lot or his household.
  15. azyma — Lemma: azymum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of “coxit”; Translation: “unleavened bread”; Notes: Symbolic of purity and urgency; parallels Abraham’s feast.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins last verb; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects final narrative action.
  17. comederunt — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: concluding verb; Translation: “they ate”; Notes: Marks completion of hospitality; both host and guests share in table fellowship.

 

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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