Genesis 14:4

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:4 Duodecim enim annis servierunt Chodorlahomor, et tertiodecimo anno recesserunt ab eo.

For twelve years they had served Chodorlahomor, but in the thirteenth year they revolted from him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Duodecim twelve NUM.INDECL
2 enim for CONJ
3 annis years ABL.PL.M
4 servierunt they served 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Chodorlahomor Chodorlahomor DAT.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
6 et and / but CONJ
7 tertiodecimo thirteenth ABL.SG.M
8 anno year ABL.SG.M
9 recesserunt they withdrew / rebelled 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
10 ab from PREP+ABL
11 eo him ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Duodecim enim annis servierunt Chodorlahomor — the dative Chodorlahomor marks the indirect object (“served Chodorlahomor”), with annis in the ablative of time duration (“for twelve years”).
Main Clause 2: et tertiodecimo anno recesserunt ab eo — a contrasting clause introduced by et (“but/and then”), with tertiodecimo anno again in the ablative of time (“in the thirteenth year”). The verb recesserunt (“they withdrew”) takes ab eo as prepositional complement (“from him”).

Morphology

  1. Duodecim — Lemma: duodecim; Part of Speech: Cardinal numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Numerical modifier of annis; Translation: “twelve”; Notes: Indicates duration of service; numerals of this class are typically indeclinable in Latin.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Postpositive explanatory conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces causal or explanatory statement.
  3. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of time duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses how long the action lasted.
  4. servierunt — Lemma: servio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of first clause; Translation: “they served”; Notes: Takes dative object Chodorlahomor.
  5. Chodorlahomor — Lemma: Chodorlahomor; Part of Speech: Proper noun (Hebrew name); Form: Dative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Dative of indirect object; Translation: “to Chodorlahomor”; Notes: Represents Chedorlaomer, king of Elam.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two main clauses; Translation: “and / but”; Notes: Here functions adversatively (“but in the thirteenth year”).
  7. tertiodecimo — Lemma: tertius decimus; Part of Speech: Ordinal numeral (compound); Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifier of anno in ablative of time; Translation: “thirteenth”; Notes: Compound ordinal formed from tertius and decimus.
  8. anno — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Ablative of time when; Translation: “year”; Notes: Indicates specific time when rebellion occurred.
  9. recesserunt — Lemma: recedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “they withdrew / rebelled”; Notes: Common biblical Latin idiom meaning “to revolt.”
  10. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Marks source or separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used with verbs of separation like recedo.
  11. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of ab; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers back to Chodorlahomor.

 

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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