Genesis 13:6

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:6 Nec poterat eos capere terra, ut habitarent simul: erat quippe substantia eorum multa, et nequibant habitare communiter.

And the land could not support them, that they might live together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell in common.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nec and not / nor CONJ
2 poterat could 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
3 eos them ACC.PL.M
4 capere to contain / hold PRES.ACT.INF
5 terra land NOM.SG.F
6 ut so that / that CONJ (PURPOSE)
7 habitarent they might dwell 3PL.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
8 simul together ADV
9 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
10 quippe indeed / for ADV (EXPLANATORY)
11 substantia substance / property NOM.SG.F
12 eorum of them GEN.PL.M
13 multa great / much NOM.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 nequibant they could not 3PL.IMPF.ACT.IND
16 habitare to live / dwell PRES.ACT.INF
17 communiter together / in common ADV

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Nec poterat eos capere terra — Negative coordination (“and the land could not contain them”). terra is the subject, poterat the verb, and eos the direct object of capere (complementary infinitive).
Purpose Clause: ut habitarent simul — introduced by ut expressing purpose (“that they might live together”).
Main Clause 2: erat quippe substantia eorum multa — explanatory clause introduced by quippe (“for indeed”), stating the cause: their possessions were great.
Clause 3: et nequibant habitare communiter — another coordinated clause showing result: they could not live together, nequibant governing infinitive habitare.

Morphology

  1. Nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negative connector; Translation: “and not / nor”; Notes: Continues the narrative while adding a negative statement.
  2. poterat — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “could”; Notes: Indicates continuing inability in past time.
  3. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of capere; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to Abram and Lot.
  4. capere — Lemma: capio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with poterat; Translation: “to hold / contain”; Notes: Conveys sense of “sustain or support.”
  5. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “land”; Notes: Represents the physical region of their habitation.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that / that”; Notes: Introduces clause of intent.
  7. habitarent — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person plural; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “they might dwell”; Notes: Subjunctive required by ut of purpose.
  8. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverb of manner; Translation: “together”; Notes: Emphasizes shared habitation.
  9. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of explanatory clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Introduces explanation with quippe.
  10. quippe — Lemma: quippe; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Explanatory particle; Translation: “indeed / for”; Notes: Strengthens causal nuance of the following statement.
  11. substantia — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of erat; Translation: “substance / property”; Notes: Refers to wealth or possessions.
  12. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Modifies substantia to indicate ownership.
  13. multa — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate adjective agreeing with substantia; Translation: “great / much”; Notes: Highlights the extent of their possessions.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds the resulting inability clause.
  15. nequibant — Lemma: nequeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “they could not”; Notes: Compound of ne + quibant, denoting inability.
  16. habitare — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with nequibant; Translation: “to dwell”; Notes: Completes the meaning of nequibant.
  17. communiter — Lemma: communiter; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverb of manner; Translation: “together / in common”; Notes: Derived from communis, emphasizing shared habitation.

 

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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