Genesis 12:9

Posted on January 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 12:9 Perrexitque Abram vadens, et ultra progrediens ad meridiem.

And Abram went on, journeying still farther toward the south.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Perrexitque and he went on 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + -QUE
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M
3 vadens going / walking PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 ultra farther / beyond ADV
6 progrediens advancing / proceeding PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
7 ad toward PREP+ACC
8 meridiem south ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Perrexitque Abram — Perrexit (main verb, perfect tense) expresses completed travel; -que joins this clause with the preceding narrative.
Participial Phrase: vadens et ultra progrediens — two participles in nominative masculine singular modify Abram, describing continuous and progressive movement.
Prepositional Phrase: ad meridiem — expresses direction; literally “toward the south,” marking Abram’s continued migration.

Morphology

  1. Perrexitque — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular, with enclitic -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and he went on”; Notes: Perfect tense signifies a completed journey stage; -que coordinates with the preceding episode.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Perrexitque; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: The patriarch continues his southward movement through Canaan.
  3. vadens — Lemma: vado; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Descriptive participle modifying Abram; Translation: “going / walking”; Notes: Implies continuous motion, reinforcing narrative dynamism.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Joins two participial actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects parallel participles expressing ongoing travel.
  5. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverbial modifier; Translation: “further / beyond”; Notes: Intensifies the participle progrediens, indicating continuing advancement.
  6. progrediens — Lemma: progredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: Present participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Second participle describing motion; Translation: “proceeding / advancing”; Notes: Deponent in form but active in meaning; describes progress through the land.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks direction of travel; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Indicates destination or geographical orientation.
  8. meridiem — Lemma: meridies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “south”; Notes: Literally “midday,” used idiomatically to mean the southern region.

 

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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