Genesis 12:6

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:6 pertransivit Abram terram usque ad locum Sichem, usque ad convallem illustrem: Chananæus autem tunc erat in terra.

Abram passed through the land as far as the place of Sichem, as far as the illustrious valley; but the Chanaanite was then in the land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 pertransivit passed through 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M
3 terram land ACC.SG.F
4 usque as far as ADV/PREP+ACC
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 locum place ACC.SG.M
7 Sichem Sichem ACC.SG.M
8 usque as far as ADV/PREP+ACC
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 convallem valley ACC.SG.F
11 illustrem illustrious ADJ.ACC.SG.F
12 Chananæus Chanaanite NOM.SG.M
13 autem however / but CONJ.ADV
14 tunc then ADV
15 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
16 in in PREP+ABL
17 terra land ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: pertransivit Abram terram — main action; verb pertransivit governs direct object terram with subject Abram.
Prepositional Expansion: usque ad locum Sichem, usque ad convallem illustrem — adverbial phrases of extent marking journey progression.
Main Clause 2: Chananæus autem tunc erat in terra — independent statement; Chananæus subject, erat copula, in terra locative phrase; autem introduces contrastive note (“but the Chanaanite was then in the land”).

Morphology

  1. pertransivit — Lemma: pertranseo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “passed through”; Notes: Compound verb (per + transeo) indicating traversal or passage through the territory.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of pertransivit; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: The patriarch performing the movement.
  3. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “land”; Notes: The object traversed by Abram, referring to Canaan.
  4. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Adverb/preposition; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Marks extent of motion; Translation: “as far as”; Notes: Used repetitively for emphasis of range.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Introduces destination; Translation: “to”; Notes: Common directional preposition with verbs of motion.
  6. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to specific sacred or geographic site.
  7. Sichem — Lemma: Sichem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular (indeclinable); Function: Appositive to locum; Translation: “Sichem”; Notes: The Canaanite city later known as Shekhem (modern Nablus region).
  8. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Adverb/preposition; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Repetition for emphasis; Translation: “as far as”; Notes: Connects second extent phrase.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Directional; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces another object of destination.
  10. convallem — Lemma: convallis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “valley”; Notes: Geographic feature within the land traversed.
  11. illustrem — Lemma: illustris; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies convallem; Translation: “illustrious / notable”; Notes: Possibly a reference to the sacred oak of Moreh.
  12. Chananæus — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of erat; Translation: “Chanaanite”; Notes: Designates a member of the indigenous population of Canaan.
  13. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Contrastive particle; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Introduces secondary clause with background information.
  14. tunc — Lemma: tunc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal adverb; Translation: “then / at that time”; Notes: Marks historical context before Israelite possession.
  15. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of copular clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Describes ongoing state of Canaanite presence.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks position within the territory.
  17. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers again to the same land through which Abram journeyed.

 

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.