Genesis 13:14

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:14 Dixitque Dominus ad Abram, postquam divisus est ab eo Lot: Leva oculos tuos, et vide a loco, in quo nunc es, ad aquilonem et meridiem, ad orientem et occidentem.

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are now, toward the north and south, toward the east and west.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -que
2 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 Abram Abram ACC.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
5 postquam after CONJ
6 divisus had separated PERF.PASS.PART.NOM.SG.M
7 est was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND (AUX)
8 ab from PREP+ABL
9 eo him ABL.SG.M
10 Lot Lot NOM.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
11 Leva lift up 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
12 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
13 tuos your ACC.PL.M (POSS.ADJ.)
14 et and CONJ
15 vide see / look 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
16 a from PREP+ABL
17 loco place ABL.SG.M
18 in in PREP+ABL
19 quo where / in which REL.PRON.ABL.SG.M
20 nunc now ADV
21 es you are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
22 ad toward PREP+ACC
23 aquilonem north ACC.SG.M
24 et and CONJ
25 meridiem south ACC.SG.M
26 ad toward PREP+ACC
27 orientem east ACC.SG.M
28 et and CONJ
29 occidentem west ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Temporal Clause: postquam divisus est ab eo Lot — a temporal subordinate clause meaning “after Lot had separated from him.” The verb divisus est is perfect passive, expressing completed separation.
Main Clause: Dixitque Dominus ad Abram — Dominus is the subject, Dixit the main verb, and ad Abram the indirect object. The enclitic -que links this to the preceding narrative.
Imperative Series: Leva oculos tuos, et vide a loco… — a double command from the LORD to Abram, structured with imperatives in asyndetic parallelism.
Locative/Directional Phrases: a loco… ad aquilonem et meridiem, ad orientem et occidentem — expresses the four cardinal directions symbolizing totality of divine promise.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + enclitic -que; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Typical narrative connective in biblical Latin introducing divine speech.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun (title); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the speaker of the divine command.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction or recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces indirect object Abram.
  4. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Indirect object of ad; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Recipient of the LORD’s speech.
  5. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “after”; Notes: Takes a perfect indicative or equivalent form.
  6. divisus — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate of temporal clause; Translation: “had separated”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s completed separation.
  7. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (auxiliary); Form: Perfect indicative active, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “was / has been”; Notes: Helps construct passive perfect.
  8. ab — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used before vowels or h.
  9. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of ab; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abram.
  10. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject of divisus est; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: The one separated from Abram.
  11. Leva — Lemma: levo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “lift up”; Notes: Imperative introducing divine directive.
  12. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of leva; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Metaphorical for spiritual vision.
  13. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies oculos; Translation: “your”; Notes: Personalizes the command.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links parallel imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects dual commands.
  15. vide — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “look / see”; Notes: Continuation of divine directive following leva.
  16. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates spatial starting point.
  17. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of a; Translation: “place”; Notes: The point of Abram’s observation.
  18. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Introduces relative clause.
  19. quo — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Locative-relative; Translation: “in which / where”; Notes: Refers back to loco.
  20. nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: “now”; Notes: Indicates Abram’s present position.
  21. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main verb of clause; Translation: “you are”; Notes: Simple present describing state of being.
  22. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Directional; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Introduces cardinal directions.
  23. aquilonem — Lemma: aquilo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “north”; Notes: One of four directions, symbol of completeness.
  24. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinate objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins aquilonem and meridiem.
  25. meridiem — Lemma: meridies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “south”; Notes: Cardinal point opposite of aquilo.
  26. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction; Translation: “toward”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
  27. orientem — Lemma: oriens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “east”; Notes: Derived from “rising (of the sun).”
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects final term; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins east and west for completion.
  29. occidentem — Lemma: occidens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “west”; Notes: From the root occido (“to fall” or “set”), referring to the direction of the sun’s setting and completing the fourfold compass of promise.

 

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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