Gn 23:14 Responditque Ephron:
And Ephron answered:
| # |
Latin |
Gloss |
Grammar Tag |
| 1 |
Responditque |
and answered |
3SG.PERF.ACT.IND |
| 2 |
Ephron |
Ephron |
NOM.SG.M (INDECL. NAME) |
Syntax
Main Clause: Responditque Ephron — The conjunction -que joins this clause to the previous narrative, indicating sequence (“and then Ephron answered”). The subject Ephron follows the verb, a common word order in Latin narrative to maintain rhythm and focus on action first.
Verb Function: Respondit is a perfect active indicative, denoting a completed act of speech responding to Abraham’s offer.
Overall Syntax: The clause functions as a transitional sentence introducing Ephron’s formal reply within the negotiation framework. It maintains the concise Vulgate narrative style.
Morphology
- Responditque — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: main verb with connective; Translation: “and answered”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects to the preceding verse, showing continuity in dialogue.
- Ephron — Lemma: Ephron; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative masculine singular (indeclinable); Function: subject of responditque; Translation: “Ephron”; Notes: The Hittite man engaged in negotiation with Abraham; nominative marks him as the speaker.
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.