Genesis 13:11

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:11 Elegitque sibi Lot regionem circa Iordanem, et recessit ab Oriente: divisique sunt alterutrum a fratre suo.

And Lot chose for himself the region around Jordan, and departed from the East; and they were separated from each other, from his brother.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Elegitque and chose 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -que
2 sibi for himself DAT.SG.REFL.PRON
3 Lot Lot NOM.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
4 regionem region ACC.SG.F
5 circa around / near PREP+ACC
6 Iordanem Jordan ACC.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
7 et and CONJ
8 recessit departed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ab from PREP+ABL
10 Oriente the East ABL.SG.M
11 divisique and they were divided 3PL.PERF.PASS.IND + ENCLITIC -que
12 sunt were 3PL.PERF.PASS.IND (auxiliary)
13 alterutrum one another ACC.SG.N (RECIPR. PRON)
14 a from PREP+ABL
15 fratre brother ABL.SG.M
16 suo his ABL.SG.M (REFL. POSS. ADJ.)

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Elegitque sibi Lot regionem circa Iordanem — main action; Lot is subject, elegit main verb, regionem direct object, and sibi reflexive dative meaning “for himself.”
Main Clause 2: et recessit ab Oriente — second independent clause connected by et; expresses Lot’s physical departure eastward.
Result Clause: divisique sunt alterutrum a fratre suo — perfect passive with -que linking back; “and they were separated from each other, from his brother.” The phrase alterutrum (reciprocal pronoun) emphasizes mutual separation.

Morphology

  1. Elegitque — Lemma: eligo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + enclitic -que; Function: Main verb with connective “and”; Translation: “and chose”; Notes: Indicates Lot’s decisive action following visual choice.
  2. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Dative of advantage (“for himself”); Translation: “for himself”; Notes: Reflexive indicates the action benefits the subject Lot.
  3. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject of elegit; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: The actor who makes the decision.
  4. regionem — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of elegit; Translation: “region”; Notes: Refers to the fertile plain near the Jordan.
  5. circa — Lemma: circa; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses spatial relation; Translation: “around / near”; Notes: Defines the geographical proximity.
  6. Iordanem — Lemma: Iordanis; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of circa; Translation: “Jordan”; Notes: The river marking the fertile plain’s location.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects independent clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates sequential actions.
  8. recessit — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “departed”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed movement away.
  9. ab — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used before vowel in ab Oriente.
  10. Oriente — Lemma: Oriens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of ab; Translation: “the East”; Notes: Directional term denoting source of departure.
  11. divisique — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect passive indicative, 3rd person plural + enclitic -que; Function: Main verb in passive; Translation: “and they were divided”; Notes: Passive voice emphasizes mutual separation.
  12. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “were”; Notes: Supports divisi in compound tense.
  13. alterutrum — Lemma: alteruter; Part of Speech: Reciprocal pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Internal object with reciprocal sense; Translation: “each other / one another”; Notes: Expresses mutual relation between Lot and Abram.
  14. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks source or origin of division.
  15. fratre — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of a; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Refers to Abram, his kinsman by family bond.
  16. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective (reflexive); Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifies fratre; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive to the subject, showing relationship of kinship.

 

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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