Genesis 12:15

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:15 Et nunciaverunt principes Pharaoni, et laudaverunt eam apud illum: et sublata est mulier in domum Pharaonis.

And the princes told Pharaoh, and they praised her before him; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 nunciaverunt they announced / told 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
3 principes princes / chiefs NOM.PL.M
4 Pharaoni to Pharaoh DAT.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 laudaverunt they praised 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 eam her PRON.ACC.SG.F
8 apud before / in the presence of PREP+ACC
9 illum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 sublata having been taken up / was taken PERF.PASS.PART.NOM.SG.F
12 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
13 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
14 in into PREP+ACC
15 domum house ACC.SG.F
16 Pharaonis of Pharaoh GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clauses:
1. Et nunciaverunt principes Pharaoni — independent clause; principes (subject) report to Pharaoni (indirect object).
2. et laudaverunt eam apud illum — second main clause joined by et, describing praise offered before Pharaoh.
3. et sublata est mulier in domum Pharaonis — passive clause describing Sarai’s removal to Pharaoh’s household; sublata est functions as periphrastic perfect passive.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential actions within narrative.
  2. nunciaverunt — Lemma: nuntio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they announced / told”; Notes: Describes communication from officials to Pharaoh.
  3. principes — Lemma: princeps; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of nunciaverunt; Translation: “princes / officials”; Notes: Refers to Egyptian nobles or royal administrators.
  4. Pharaoni — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to Pharaoh”; Notes: Recipient of the report about Sarai.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins sequential verbal actions.
  6. laudaverunt — Lemma: laudo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they praised”; Notes: Expresses admiration of Sarai’s beauty before Pharaoh.
  7. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of laudaverunt; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Sarai, the praised woman.
  8. apud — Lemma: apud; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Denotes proximity or presence; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Indicates Pharaoh’s position as audience.
  9. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of apud; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects previous clause to following passive statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continuation marker.
  11. sublata — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate complement with est; Translation: “was taken / lifted up”; Notes: Passive periphrasis; implies forcible or formal taking into Pharaoh’s house.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms periphrastic perfect passive with sublata.
  13. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of sublata est; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Refers to Sarai as passive recipient of action.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Denotes direction of movement.
  15. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “house”; Notes: Destination of Sarai’s removal.
  16. Pharaonis — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of Pharaoh”; Notes: Specifies ownership of the house; implies inclusion in the royal harem.

 

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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