Genesis 12:11

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:11 Cumque prope esset ut ingrederetur Ægyptum, dixit Sarai uxori suæ: Novi quod pulchra sis mulier:

And when he was near to entering Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: I know that you are a beautiful woman.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when SUB.CONJ + -QUE
2 prope near ADV
3 esset he was 3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.ACT
4 ut that / when CONJ
5 ingrederetur he might enter 3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.DEP
6 Ægyptum Egypt ACC.SG.F
7 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Sarai Sarai DAT.SG.F
9 uxori to (his) wife DAT.SG.F
10 suæ his ADJ.POSS.DAT.SG.F
11 Novi I know 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 quod that CONJ
13 pulchra beautiful ADJ.NOM.SG.F
14 sis you are 2SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
15 mulier woman NOM.SG.F

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque prope esset ut ingrederetur Ægyptum — Cumque introduces a temporal clause (“and when”); esset (imperfect subjunctive) with ut + subjunctive ingrederetur expresses an event approaching completion (“when he was near to entering Egypt”).
Main Clause: dixit Sarai uxori suæ — dixit main verb; Sarai uxori suæ is a double dative phrase identifying both recipient and relationship.
Indirect Statement: Novi quod pulchra sis mulier — governed by Novi (“I know”); subordinate clause introduced by quod with subjunctive sis expresses the content of knowledge.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Subordinating conjunction + enclitic -que; Form: Compound conjunction; Function: Introduces a temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines narrative progression with temporal subordination.
  2. prope — Lemma: prope; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies esset; Translation: “near”; Notes: Adverbial of proximity expressing spatial or metaphorical nearness.
  3. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “he was”; Notes: Subjunctive used after cum to indicate temporal nuance.
  4. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces complementary clause; Translation: “that / when”; Notes: Here marks the infinitive-like complement “to enter.”
  5. ingrederetur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Imperfect subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he might enter”; Notes: Deponent form expressing active sense; complements ut clause.
  6. Ægyptum — Lemma: Ægyptus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of preposition in (understood); Translation: “Egypt”; Notes: Destination of Abram’s journey.
  7. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse to Sarai.
  8. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to Sarai”; Notes: The addressee of Abram’s statement.
  9. uxori — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Appositional dative to Sarai; Translation: “(to his) wife”; Notes: Reinforces the relationship contextually.
  10. suæ — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Modifies uxori; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive adjective agreeing with subject Abram.
  11. Novi — Lemma: nosco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of indirect discourse; Translation: “I know”; Notes: Perfect tense with present meaning — “I have come to know / I know.”
  12. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces a subordinate declarative clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Signals the content of Abram’s knowledge.
  13. pulchra — Lemma: pulcher; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “beautiful”; Notes: Compliment predicate describing mulier.
  14. sis — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive, 2nd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Subjunctive used in indirect statement after quod.
  15. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Complements pulchra sis, defining Sarai’s quality and identity.

 

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.