Genesis 19:27

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:27 Abraham autem consurgens mane, ubi steterat prius cum Domino,

But Abraham, rising early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before with the LORD,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M.PROPN
2 autem but / however CONJ.ADV
3 consurgens rising / having risen PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
4 mane early in the morning ADV
5 ubi where REL.ADV
6 steterat had stood 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
7 prius before / earlier ADV
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 Domino LORD ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Participial Phrase: Abraham autem consurgens mane — The nominative subject Abraham is modified by the present participle consurgens (“rising”), functioning temporally (“after he rose early in the morning”). The adverb mane specifies time.
Relative Clause: ubi steterat prius cum Domino — Introduced by ubi (“where”), describing the location of Abraham’s earlier intercession. The pluperfect verb steterat (“had stood”) indicates an action completed prior to the current narrative moment, while cum Domino (“with the LORD”) expresses accompaniment, recalling Abraham’s dialogue with YHWH.

Morphology

  1. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the sentence; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Patriarch and covenant mediator revisiting the site of his prayer.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction (adversative); Form: indeclinable; Function: contrasts or resumes narrative; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Marks narrative shift from Lot’s story back to Abraham.
  3. consurgens — Lemma: consurgo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: adverbial modifier of Abraham’s action; Translation: “rising / having risen”; Notes: Temporal participle signaling promptness and reverence in Abraham’s conduct.
  4. mane — Lemma: mane; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: denotes time; Translation: “early in the morning”; Notes: Expresses eagerness or devotion characteristic of patriarchal obedience.
  5. ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: relative adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces relative clause of place; Translation: “where”; Notes: Links current event to earlier intercession scene (Genesis 18:22).
  6. steterat — Lemma: sto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “had stood”; Notes: Indicates completed action in prior time frame.
  7. prius — Lemma: prior; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: comparative degree; Function: modifies “steterat”; Translation: “before / earlier”; Notes: Reinforces temporal contrast between past prayer and current observation.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Expresses Abraham’s personal presence before YHWH.
  9. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, emphasizing the covenantal dialogue between Abraham and the divine Judge.

 

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.