Genesis 13:8

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 13:8 Dixit ergo Abram ad Lot: Ne quæso sit iurgium inter me et te, et inter pastores meos, et pastores tuos: fratres enim sumus.

Therefore Abram said to Lot: “I pray, let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds: for we are brothers.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
4 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
5 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M (indecl. Hebr.)
6 Ne let not PART (NEGATIVE COMMAND)
7 quæso I ask / I pray 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 sit may there be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
9 iurgium strife / quarrel NOM.SG.N
10 inter between PREP+ACC
11 me me ACC.SG
12 et and CONJ
13 te you ACC.SG
14 et and CONJ
15 inter between PREP+ACC
16 pastores shepherds ACC.PL.M
17 meos my ACC.PL.M
18 et and CONJ
19 pastores shepherds ACC.PL.M
20 tuos your ACC.PL.M
21 fratres brothers NOM.PL.M
22 enim for CONJ (CAUSAL)
23 sumus we are 1PL.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Dixit ergo Abram ad Lot — main narrative clause, Abram is subject, Dixit the verb, and ad Lot expresses the person addressed.
Quoted Petition: Ne quæso sit iurgium inter me et te — polite prohibitive request; Ne + subjunctive sit expresses “let there not be,” with quæso adding a courteous appeal.
Expansion: et inter pastores meos, et pastores tuos — parallel prepositional phrase showing the wider concern beyond the two men.
Grounds Clause: fratres enim sumus — explanatory clause giving motive: “for we are brothers.”

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Inferential connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Indicates logical or narrative consequence.
  3. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Patriarch and speaker of the dialogue.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction toward person; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Introduces indirect object.
  5. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Object of ad; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: The addressee of Abram’s appeal.
  6. Ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Particle; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negative particle introducing prohibitive subjunctive; Translation: “let not”; Notes: Used in polite prohibitions.
  7. quæso — Lemma: quæso; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Parenthetic appeal; Translation: “I ask / I pray”; Notes: Common polite expression in classical and biblical Latin.
  8. sit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb in prohibitive clause; Translation: “may there be”; Notes: Subjunctive after ne expressing prohibition.
  9. iurgium — Lemma: iurgium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of sit; Translation: “strife / quarrel”; Notes: Abstract noun for contention or dispute.
  10. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks relationship between two parties; Translation: “between”; Notes: Used repetitively for emphasis.
  11. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “me”; Notes: First person singular pronoun.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinate objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links both personal and collective relationships.
  13. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Second object of inter; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Lot.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Begins parallel clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds further social unit involved.
  15. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses relation between groups; Translation: “between”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis.
  16. pastores — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “shepherds”; Notes: Refers to herdsmen serving Abram and Lot.
  17. meos — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies pastores; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates Abram’s herdsmen.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinate objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Abram’s and Lot’s servants.
  19. pastores — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “shepherds”; Notes: Parallel structure reinforces relational balance.
  20. tuos — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies pastores; Translation: “your”; Notes: Identifies the herdsmen under Lot.
  21. fratres — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of sumus; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Used figuratively for close kinship.
  22. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Causal connector; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces explanatory rationale.
  23. sumus — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 1st person plural; Function: Copula linking fratres; Translation: “we are”; Notes: States shared kinship forming moral basis of appeal.

 

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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