Genesis 12:17

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:17 Flagellavit autem Dominus Pharaonem plagis maximis, et domum eius propter Sarai uxorem Abram.

But the LORD struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his household, because of Sarai, the wife of Abram.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Flagellavit struck / afflicted 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but / however ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Pharaonem Pharaoh ACC.SG.M
5 plagis with plagues ABL.PL.F
6 maximis very great ADJ.ABL.PL.F
7 et and CONJ
8 domum house / household ACC.SG.F
9 eius his PRON.GEN.SG.M
10 propter because of PREP+ACC
11 Sarai Sarai ACC.SG.F (indecl. Hebr.)
12 uxorem wife ACC.SG.F
13 Abram Abram GEN.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)

Syntax

Main Clause: Flagellavit autem Dominus Pharaonem plagis maximis — Dominus (subject) performs the action of striking (Flagellavit), with Pharaonem as the direct object and plagis maximis as the ablative of means (“with great plagues”).
Coordinated Clause: et domum eius — coordinates a second direct object (“and his household”) under the same verb Flagellavit.
Prepositional Phrase (Cause): propter Sarai uxorem Abram — expresses cause or reason for divine punishment (“because of Sarai, the wife of Abram”).

Morphology

  1. Flagellavit — Lemma: flagello; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he struck / afflicted”; Notes: Denotes divine punitive action; perfect tense indicates completed event.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Adversative particle; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Contrasts Pharaoh’s prior favor with divine retribution.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun (title); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH; agent of judgment.
  4. Pharaonem — Lemma: Pharao; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of Flagellavit; Translation: “Pharaoh”; Notes: Egyptian king punished by divine intervention.
  5. plagis — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “with plagues”; Notes: Instrument of divine punishment.
  6. maximis — Lemma: maximus; Part of Speech: Adjective (superlative of magnus); Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Modifies plagis; Translation: “very great”; Notes: Emphasizes the severity of affliction.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Coordinating conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects additional object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Extends the scope of punishment.
  8. domum — Lemma: domus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Coordinated direct object; Translation: “house / household”; Notes: Refers to Pharaoh’s family and servants.
  9. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying domum; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Pharaoh.
  10. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Introduces causal phrase; Translation: “because of”; Notes: Marks reason or cause for divine action.
  11. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable Hebrew name); Form: Accusative singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: Object of propter; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Source of Pharaoh’s offense due to his taking her.
  12. uxorem — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Apposition to Sarai; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Clarifies Sarai’s relation to Abram; appositive construction.
  13. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable Hebrew name); Form: Genitive singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Possessive genitive modifying uxorem; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: Indicates marital connection that caused divine judgment on Pharaoh.

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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