Genesis 14:14

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:14 Quod cum audisset Abram, captum videlicet Lot fratrem suum, numeravit expeditos vernaculos suos trecentos decem, et octo: et persecutus est usque Dan.

And when Abram heard that Lot his brother had been taken captive, he numbered his trained servants, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them as far as Dan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod which / that ACC.SG.N REL.PRON
2 cum when CONJ
3 audisset had heard 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
5 captum captured ACC.SG.M PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 videlicet namely / that is ADV
7 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
8 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
9 suum his ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ
10 numeravit he numbered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 expeditos ready / trained ACC.PL.M
12 vernaculos house-born servants ACC.PL.M
13 suos his ACC.PL.M POSS.ADJ
14 trecentos three hundred NUM.ACC.PL.M
15 decem ten NUM.INDECL
16 et and CONJ
17 octo eight NUM.INDECL
18 et and CONJ
19 persecutus est he pursued 3SG.PERF.DEP.IND
20 usque as far as PREP+ACC
21 Dan Dan ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)

Syntax

Subordinate Clause: Quod cum audisset Abram — introduces temporal condition; cum with subjunctive audisset indicates time or cause (“when Abram heard”).
Object Clause: captum videlicet Lot fratrem suum — direct object of audisset; videlicet adds clarification (“namely”).
Main Clause: numeravit expeditos vernaculos suos trecentos decem et octo — subject Abram implied; objects include a quantified phrase with adjectives and possessives.
Final Clause: et persecutus est usque Dan — expresses resultant pursuit, showing Abram’s prompt military response.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of audisset; Translation: “that / which”; Notes: Introduces object clause dependent on the verb of hearing.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal clause marker; Translation: “when”; Notes: With subjunctive expresses circumstance or cause.
  3. audisset — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “had heard”; Notes: Pluperfect indicates an action prior to the main clause.
  4. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Subject; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Patriarch before being renamed Abraham; serves as agent of response.
  5. captum — Lemma: capio; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Accusative singular masculine, perfect passive participle; Function: Object complement; Translation: “captured”; Notes: Agrees with Lot, describing his state.
  6. videlicet — Lemma: videlicet; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Clarifying marker; Translation: “namely”; Notes: Emphasizes specification within the clause.
  7. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Direct object; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: Abram’s nephew and motivation for his military action.
  8. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Lot; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Describes kinship relationship (in extended sense).
  9. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of fratrem; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers reflexively to Abram, indicating kinship.
  10. numeravit — Lemma: numero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he numbered”; Notes: Introduces Abram’s decisive mobilization.
  11. expeditos — Lemma: expeditus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifier of vernaculos; Translation: “ready / trained”; Notes: Military term referring to light-armed or prepared men.
  12. vernaculos — Lemma: vernaculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of numeravit; Translation: “house-born servants”; Notes: Denotes domestically born retainers trained for service or battle.
  13. suos — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifier of vernaculos; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reinforces Abram’s private militia ownership.
  14. trecentos — Lemma: trecenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Numerical modifier; Translation: “three hundred”; Notes: Part of full numeral phrase specifying troop count.
  15. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Component of number; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Combines with octo for 318.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects numerals; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard additive conjunction in enumerations.
  17. octo — Lemma: octo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Completes compound numeral; Translation: “eight”; Notes: Final element of trecentos decem et octo (318).
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects mobilization with pursuit action.
  19. persecutus est — Lemma: persequor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Perfect deponent indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he pursued”; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning; denotes strategic military action.
  20. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses extent or limit; Translation: “as far as”; Notes: Marks geographical endpoint of pursuit.
  21. Dan — Lemma: Dan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Object of usque; Translation: “Dan”; Notes: Northernmost region of Canaan, emphasizing the long distance of Abram’s pursuit.

 

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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