Genesis 14:16

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:16 Reduxitque omnem substantiam, et Lot fratrem suum cum substantia illius, mulieres quoque et populum.

And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother with his substance, and also the women and the people.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Reduxitque and he brought back 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 omnem all / every ACC.SG.F
3 substantiam substance / property ACC.SG.F
4 et and CONJ
5 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
6 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
7 suum his ACC.SG.M POSS.ADJ
8 cum with PREP+ABL
9 substantia substance / property ABL.SG.F
10 illius of him / his GEN.SG.M DEM.PRON
11 mulieres women ACC.PL.F
12 quoque also ADV
13 et and CONJ
14 populum people ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Reduxitque omnem substantiam — perfect active verb with enclitic -que, linking this recovery to prior pursuit.
Coordinated Object: et Lot fratrem suum cum substantia illius — adds Lot and his possessions as additional direct objects of reduxit.
Appended Object: mulieres quoque et populum — encloses the rescued captives as collective human objects, the use of quoque (“also”) emphasizing completeness of restoration.

Morphology

  1. Reduxitque — Lemma: reduco; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular + -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and he brought back”; Notes: Perfect tense shows completed restitution of goods and captives.
  2. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifier of substantiam; Translation: “all”; Notes: Totalizing adjective stressing completeness.
  3. substantiam — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of reduxit; Translation: “substance / property”; Notes: Refers to wealth and material goods recovered from enemies.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds Lot as another object of the verb.
  5. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Direct object; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: Abram’s nephew, restored from captivity.
  6. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Lot; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Used broadly for “kinsman.”
  7. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifier of fratrem; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, referring to Abram as the possessor.
  8. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces the phrase referring to Lot’s recovered property.
  9. substantia — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “substance / property”; Notes: Denotes Lot’s possessions regained from captivity.
  10. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying substantia; Translation: “of him / his”; Notes: Refers to Lot as the possessor of the goods.
  11. mulieres — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Additional object of reduxit; Translation: “women”; Notes: Captive women rescued by Abram’s forces.
  12. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Intensifier; Translation: “also”; Notes: Adds emphasis on inclusion and completeness of recovery.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Joins final noun; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the enumeration of those recovered.
  14. populum — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (collective); Function: Final direct object of reduxit; Translation: “people”; Notes: Represents the general populace of Sodom restored with their goods.

 

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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