Genesis 14:22

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:22 Qui respondit ei: Levo manum meam ad Dominum Deum excelsum possessorem cæli et terræ,

Who answered him: “I raise my hand to the LORD God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
2 respondit answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 ei to him DAT.SG.M PRON
4 Levo I lift / raise 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
5 manum hand ACC.SG.F
6 meam my ACC.SG.F POSS.ADJ
7 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
8 Dominum LORD ACC.SG.M
9 Deum God ACC.SG.M
10 excelsum Most High ACC.SG.M ADJ
11 possessorem possessor ACC.SG.M
12 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.M
13 et and CONJ
14 terræ of earth GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Qui respondit ei — relative clause identifying Abram as the speaker; subject implied (Abram), with verb respondit and indirect object ei (“to him,” i.e., the king of Sodom).
Quoted Speech: Levo manum meam ad Dominum Deum excelsum possessorem cæli et terræ — direct declaration; the verb levo governs the object manum meam, with the prepositional phrase ad Dominum Deum excelsum expressing direction of oath. The following phrase possessorem cæli et terræ appositionally defines God’s sovereignty over all creation.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Refers to Abram as antecedent; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause linking Abram’s response to the king’s speech.
  2. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “answered”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed speech act.
  3. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to the king of Sodom.
  4. Levo — Lemma: levo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of direct speech; Translation: “I raise”; Notes: Introduces a solemn oath formula common in ancient Near Eastern idiom.
  5. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of levo; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Symbol of taking oath or pledge.
  6. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies manum; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes personal commitment.
  7. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction or purpose; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Denotes Abram’s act directed toward God.
  8. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Title referring to YHWH, emphasized as the object of Abram’s oath.
  9. Deum — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominum; Translation: “God”; Notes: Clarifies that YHWH is “God Most High.”
  10. excelsum — Lemma: excelsus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifier of Deum; Translation: “Most High”; Notes: Indicates divine supremacy; parallels Hebrew ʿElyon.
  11. possessorem — Lemma: possessor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Deum excelsum; Translation: “Possessor”; Notes: Title highlighting divine ownership of creation.
  12. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of possession; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Paired with terræ to denote total dominion.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinating conjunction; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the two realms of divine ownership.
  14. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Second element of genitive pair; Translation: “of earth”; Notes: Completes formula “heaven and earth,” denoting universal dominion.

 

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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