Genesis 22:4

Posted on January 22, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

4 Die autem tertio, elevatis oculis, vidit locum procul:

But on the third day, having lifted up his eyes, he saw the place from afar;

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Die day ABL.SG.M
2 autem but CONJ
3 tertio third ADJ.ORD.ABL.SG.M
4 elevatis having lifted PPP.ABL.PL.N
5 oculis eyes ABL.PL.M
6 vidit he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 locum place ACC.SG.M
8 procul from afar ADV

Syntax

Temporal Phrase: Die autem tertio — ablative of time expressing “on the third day,” with autem providing a mild connective “but” or “and then.”
Participial Phrase: elevatis oculis — ablative absolute expressing circumstance: “having lifted up his eyes.”
Main Clause: vidit locum procul — subject implied (Abraham); vidit is the verb, locum the direct object, and procul an adverb describing distance.

Morphology

  1. Die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: ablative of time; Translation: “day”; Notes: Specifies the temporal point of the event.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective particle; Translation: “but” / “and then”; Notes: Serves as a narrative transition marker.
  3. tertio — Lemma: tertius; Part of Speech: adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: modifies die; Translation: “third”; Notes: Indicates sequence in time.
  4. elevatis — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle ablative plural neuter (agreeing with oculis); Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “having lifted”; Notes: Describes prior or accompanying action to main verb.
  5. oculis — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: complement in ablative absolute; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Common idiom “elevatis oculis” = “lifting up one’s eyes.”
  6. vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “he saw”; Notes: Denotes perception or recognition at a distance.
  7. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: direct object of vidit; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the site of the intended sacrifice.
  8. procul — Lemma: procul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies vidit; Translation: “from afar”; Notes: Adds spatial perspective to the observation.

 

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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