Genesis 13:9

Posted on January 13, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

9 Ecce universa terra coram te est: recede a me, obsecro: si ad sinistram ieris, ego dexteram tenebo: si tu dexteram elegeris, ego ad sinistram pergam.

Behold, the whole land is before you: depart from me, I pray you. If you go to the left, I will take the right; but if you choose the right, I will go to the left.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ecce behold INTERJ
2 universa entire / whole NOM.SG.F
3 terra land NOM.SG.F
4 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
5 te you ABL.SG
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 recede depart / withdraw 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
8 a from PREP+ABL
9 me me ABL.SG
10 obsecro I beg / I pray 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 si if CONJ
12 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
13 sinistram left side ACC.SG.F
14 ieris you will go 2SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND (for FUTURE sense)
15 ego I NOM.SG
16 dexteram right side ACC.SG.F
17 tenebo I will take / hold 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 si if CONJ
19 tu you NOM.SG
20 dexteram right side ACC.SG.F
21 elegeris you choose 2SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
22 ego I NOM.SG
23 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
24 sinistram left side ACC.SG.F
25 pergam I will go 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (FUTURE sense)

Syntax

Main Declaration: Ecce universa terra coram te est — demonstrative exclamation introducing the offer; terra is the subject, est the verb, and coram te a prepositional phrase denoting presence or position.
Command: recede a me, obsecro — polite imperative “depart, I pray,” combining command with appeal.
Conditional Clauses: si ad sinistram ieris, ego dexteram tenebo and si tu dexteram elegeris, ego ad sinistram pergam — both future-oriented protases (si + future perfect) with apodoses in simple future. They express mutual choice and deference.

Morphology

  1. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: Interjection; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Draws attention; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Introduces demonstrative statement.
  2. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terra; Translation: “whole / entire”; Notes: Emphasizes total extent of land available.
  3. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to the region before Abram and Lot.
  4. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses presence before someone; Translation: “before”; Notes: Often conveys reverence or proximity.
  5. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular; Function: Object of coram; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to Lot as recipient of the gesture.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate in statement of possession.
  7. recede — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person singular; Function: Command; Translation: “depart / withdraw”; Notes: Gentle imperative softened by obsecro.
  8. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks physical or relational departure.
  9. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular; Function: Object of a; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Abram.
  10. obsecro — Lemma: obsecro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Parenthetic plea; Translation: “I beg / I pray”; Notes: Politeness marker mitigating command.
  11. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces conditional clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Establishes alternative options.
  12. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses direction; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Indicates motion toward side.
  13. sinistram — Lemma: sinistra; Part of Speech: Noun (used as substantive); Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “the left (side)”; Notes: Opposed to dextera.
  14. ieris — Lemma: eo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Verb of protasis; Translation: “you go / will go”; Notes: Latin uses future perfect for future condition.
  15. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject; Translation: “I”; Notes: Expressed for contrastive emphasis.
  16. dexteram — Lemma: dextera; Part of Speech: Noun (substantive); Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of tenebo; Translation: “the right (side)”; Notes: Paired with sinistra for spatial contrast.
  17. tenebo — Lemma: teneo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will hold / take”; Notes: Indicates Abram’s deferential concession.
  18. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces second condition; Translation: “if”; Notes: Sets alternate case.
  19. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject; Translation: “you”; Notes: Explicit for parallelism.
  20. dexteram — Lemma: dextera; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of elegeris; Translation: “the right (side)”; Notes: Indicates choice offered to Lot.
  21. elegeris — Lemma: eligo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Verb of protasis; Translation: “you choose / will have chosen”; Notes: Future perfect for vivid future contingency.
  22. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular; Function: Subject of apodosis; Translation: “I”; Notes: Repeated for rhetorical symmetry.
  23. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Directional marker; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Parallel with earlier ad sinistram.
  24. sinistram — Lemma: sinistra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “left (side)”; Notes: Repetition for parallel balance in symmetry.
  25. pergam — Lemma: pergo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: Verb of apodosis; Translation: “I will go”; Notes: Subjunctive used with future sense expressing determination.

 

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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