Genesis 21:25

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:25 Et increpavit Abimelech propter puteum aquæ quem vi abstulerunt servi eius.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water which his servants had taken away by force.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 increpavit reproved / rebuked 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Abimelech Abimelech ACC.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
4 propter because of PREP+ACC
5 puteum well ACC.SG.M
6 aquæ of water GEN.SG.F
7 quem which ACC.SG.M.REL.PRON
8 vi by force ABL.SG.F
9 abstulerunt they took away 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 servi servants NOM.PL.M
11 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Et increpavit Abimelech — The conjunction et connects this verse to the preceding covenant scene. The verb increpavit (perfect active) indicates a completed act of verbal rebuke by Abraham directed toward Abimelech, the direct object.
Prepositional Phrase: propter puteum aquæ — Expresses cause or reason: “because of the well of water.” The genitive aquæ qualifies the well by content (“well of water”).
Relative Clause: quem vi abstulerunt servi eius — Modifies “puteum.” The relative pronoun quem serves as the direct object of abstulerunt. The ablative vi expresses means (“by force”), while servi eius forms the subject of the clause (“his servants”).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Function: links the clause to the prior verse; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces continuation of narrative action.
  2. increpavit — Lemma: increpo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “reproved / rebuked”; Notes: Denotes strong verbal correction, possibly in a judicial or moral sense.
  3. Abimelech — Lemma: Abimelech; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “increpavit”; Translation: “Abimelech”; Notes: The Philistine king being admonished by Abraham for the misconduct of his men.
  4. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces cause; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Used to express reason or motivation behind the rebuke.
  5. puteum — Lemma: puteus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “propter”; Translation: “well”; Notes: Refers to a valuable water source, often tied to property rights and covenant disputes.
  6. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: partitive or descriptive genitive; Translation: “of water”; Notes: Specifies the well’s content, emphasizing its utility and value.
  7. quem — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: introduces relative clause modifying “puteum”; Translation: “which.”
  8. vi — Lemma: vis; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by force”; Notes: Indicates the unlawful or coercive manner of seizure.
  9. abstulerunt — Lemma: aufero; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person plural; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “they took away”; Notes: Depicts confiscation or violent appropriation.
  10. servi — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “abstulerunt”; Translation: “servants”; Notes: Identifies Abimelech’s subordinates as the agents of wrongdoing.
  11. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “servi”; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Abimelech, indicating his servants were responsible, though likely without his direct order.

 

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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