Genesis 13:7

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:7 Unde et facta est rixa inter pastores gregum Abram et Lot. Eo autem tempore Chananæus et Pherezæus habitabant in terra illa.

Wherefore also there was strife between the shepherds of Abram’s flocks and of Lot. But at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite lived in that land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Unde wherefore / whence ADV
2 et also / and CONJ
3 facta was made / arose PERF.PASS.PART.NOM.SG.F
4 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
5 rixa quarrel / strife NOM.SG.F
6 inter between PREP+ACC
7 pastores shepherds ACC.PL.M
8 gregum of flocks GEN.PL.M
9 Abram of Abram GEN.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
10 et and CONJ
11 Lot of Lot GEN.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
12 Eo at that ABL.SG.M/N (DEMONSTR. PRON.)
13 autem but / moreover CONJ
14 tempore time ABL.SG.N
15 Chananæus Canaanite NOM.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 Pherezæus Perizzite NOM.SG.M
18 habitabant were dwelling 3PL.IMPF.ACT.IND
19 in in PREP+ABL
20 terra land ABL.SG.F
21 illa that ABL.SG.F (DEMONSTR. ADJ.)

Syntax

Clause 1: Unde et facta est rixa inter pastores gregum Abram et Lot — Introduced by unde (“wherefore”), expressing a consequence of their wealth. rixa is the subject; facta est is the passive periphrastic verb meaning “arose” or “was made”; inter pastores gregum Abram et Lot specifies the parties in conflict.
Clause 2: Eo autem tempore Chananæus et Pherezæus habitabant in terra illa — temporal clause emphasizing context; Chananæus and Pherezæus are joint subjects of habitabant, and in terra illa provides the locative phrase.

Morphology

  1. Unde — Lemma: unde; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces causal/result clause; Translation: “wherefore / from which”; Notes: Refers to the previous statement about insufficient land.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds emphasis; Translation: “also / and”; Notes: Marks narrative continuation.
  3. facta — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Perfect passive participle nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate adjective with est; Translation: “was made / arose”; Notes: Used impersonally with rixa as subject.
  4. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Completes periphrastic passive construction.
  5. rixa — Lemma: rixa; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “strife / quarrel”; Notes: Abstract noun denoting contention.
  6. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Introduces parties involved; Translation: “between”; Notes: Expresses reciprocal relation.
  7. pastores — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “shepherds”; Notes: Represents servants tending Abram’s and Lot’s herds.
  8. gregum — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of possession modifying pastores; Translation: “of flocks”; Notes: Specifies whose shepherds are meant.
  9. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable Hebrew name); Form: Genitive singular masculine (contextual); Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of Abram”; Notes: One of the possessors in the conflict.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects genitives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Abram’s and Lot’s herdsmen.
  11. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable Hebrew name); Form: Genitive singular masculine (contextual); Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of Lot”; Notes: Companion and nephew of Abram.
  12. Eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine/neuter; Function: Ablative of time; Translation: “at that”; Notes: Correlates with tempore.
  13. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Contrastive marker; Translation: “but / moreover”; Notes: Introduces contextual statement.
  14. tempore — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of eo; Translation: “time”; Notes: Temporal phrase specifying when the strife occurred.
  15. Chananæus — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: Noun (ethnic name); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Canaanite”; Notes: Denotes inhabitant of the land before Abram’s descendants.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Joins compound subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates the two inhabitants.
  17. Pherezæus — Lemma: Pherezæus; Part of Speech: Noun (ethnic name); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Perizzite”; Notes: Represents another Canaanite tribe dwelling in the same region.
  18. habitabant — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “were dwelling”; Notes: Describes continuing habitation of local tribes.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial preposition for habitation.
  20. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Geographic term for the region of Canaan.
  21. illa — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terra; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the same land mentioned earlier, emphasizing spatial reference.

 

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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