Genesis 14:15

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:15 Et divisis sociis, irruit super eos nocte: percussitque eos, et persecutus est eos usque Hoba, quæ est ad lævam Damasci.

And dividing his allies, he rushed upon them at night, and struck them, and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is to the left of Damascus.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 divisis having divided ABL.PL.N PERF.PASS.PTCP
3 sociis companions / allies ABL.PL.M
4 irruit he rushed / attacked 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 super upon / against PREP+ACC
6 eos them ACC.PL.M
7 nocte at night ABL.SG.F
8 percussitque and he struck 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
9 eos them ACC.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 persecutus having pursued NOM.SG.M PERF.DEP.PTCP
12 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND AUX
13 eos them ACC.PL.M
14 usque as far as / until PREP+ACC
15 Hoba Hobah ACC.SG.F (INDECL. HEBR.)
16 quæ which NOM.SG.F REL.PRON
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
19 lævam left (side) ACC.SG.F
20 Damasci of Damascus GEN.SG.F (INDECL. HEBR.)

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Et divisis sociis — expresses attendant circumstance, “and when he had divided his allies.”
Main Clause 1: irruit super eos nocte — subject implied (Abram), verb irruit, prepositional phrase super eos gives target, nocte marks time.
Main Clause 2: percussitque eos — connected by enclitic -que, expressing the result of the attack.
Main Clause 3: et persecutus est eos usque Hoba — compound verb structure (persecutus + est) forming a perfect deponent, showing prolonged pursuit.
Relative Clause: quæ est ad lævam Damasci — modifies Hoba, explaining its location relative to Damascus.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinating; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects this event with previous narrative.
  2. divisis — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Ablative plural neuter (agreeing with sociis); Function: Ablative absolute; Translation: “having divided”; Notes: Indicates preparatory action before attack.
  3. sociis — Lemma: socius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Complement of ablative absolute; Translation: “allies”; Notes: Refers to Abram’s Amorrite confederates.
  4. irruit — Lemma: irruo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he rushed upon”; Notes: Describes surprise assault in nocturnal context.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Direction toward object; Translation: “upon / against”; Notes: Common preposition in martial idioms.
  6. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the four kings’ armies.
  7. nocte — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Ablative of time; Translation: “at night”; Notes: Emphasizes strategic timing of the attack.
  8. percussitque — Lemma: percutio; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and he struck”; Notes: The enclitic joins this clause to the preceding, marking sequential action.
  9. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to defeated coalition forces.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Sequential connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces following deponent action.
  11. persecutus — Lemma: persequor; Part of Speech: Participle (deponent); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Part of periphrastic verb; Translation: “having pursued”; Notes: Used with est to form perfect tense of deponent verb.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Forms compound perfect; Translation: “was / has”; Notes: Serves as auxiliary for persecutus.
  13. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of persecutus est; Translation: “them”; Notes: Continues reference to the routed enemies.
  14. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses extent; Translation: “as far as”; Notes: Indicates spatial boundary of pursuit.
  15. Hoba — Lemma: Hoba; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Object of usque; Translation: “Hobah”; Notes: Geographical terminus of Abram’s pursuit, near Damascus.
  16. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces locative description of Hoba.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and locative complement.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Locative relation; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Specifies direction relative to Damascus.
  19. lævam — Lemma: lævus; Part of Speech: Noun (used substantively); Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “left (side)”; Notes: Indicates westward orientation.
  20. Damasci — Lemma: Damascum; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Genitive of relation; Translation: “of Damascus”; Notes: Final geographical reference anchoring 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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