Genesis 14:9

Posted on January 14, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 14:9 scilicet adversus Chodorlahomor regem Elamitarum, et Thadal regem gentium, et Amraphel regem Sennaar, et Arioch regem Ponti: quatuor reges adversus quinque.

Namely, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus: four kings against five.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 scilicet namely ADV
2 adversus against PREP+ACC
3 Chodorlahomor Chedorlaomer ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
4 regem king ACC.SG.M
5 Elamitarum of the Elamites GEN.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 Thadal Tidal ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
8 regem king ACC.SG.M
9 gentium of nations GEN.PL.F
10 et and CONJ
11 Amraphel Amraphel ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
12 regem king ACC.SG.M
13 Sennaar of Shinar GEN.SG.F (INDECL. HEBR.)
14 et and CONJ
15 Arioch Arioch ACC.SG.M (INDECL. HEBR.)
16 regem king ACC.SG.M
17 Ponti of Pontus GEN.SG.M
18 quatuor four NUM.INDECL
19 reges kings NOM.PL.M
20 adversus against PREP+ACC
21 quinque five NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Main Structure: scilicet adversus Chodorlahomor … — explanatory phrase listing the eastern coalition kings opposed to the five kings of the western plain.
Prepositional Pattern: Each name is governed by adversus (implied), showing unified opposition.
Final Clause: quatuor reges adversus quinque — concise numerical summary contrasting the two alliances: “four kings against five.”

Morphology

  1. scilicet — Lemma: scilicet; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces specification; Translation: “namely”; Notes: Often used in the Vulgate to introduce clarifying details following a general statement.
  2. adversus — Lemma: adversus; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates opposition; Translation: “against”; Notes: Common military preposition; introduces the opponents in the conflict.
  3. Chodorlahomor — Lemma: Chodorlahomor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Object of adversus; Translation: “Chedorlaomer”; Notes: Leader of the eastern coalition, representing Elamite dominion.
  4. regem — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Chodorlahomor; Translation: “king”; Notes: Reinforces his royal status and leadership in the confederation.
  5. Elamitarum — Lemma: Elamita; Part of Speech: Noun (ethnic); Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of association; Translation: “of the Elamites”; Notes: Indicates rule over the Elamite nation, a Persian region east of Mesopotamia.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects coordinated nouns; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links next member of the list (Thadal).
  7. Thadal — Lemma: Thadal; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Object of implied adversus; Translation: “Tidal”; Notes: Another eastern monarch, representing diverse “nations.”
  8. regem — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Thadal; Translation: “king”; Notes: Titles Tidal explicitly; appositional clarification.
  9. gentium — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine; Function: Genitive of domain; Translation: “of the nations”; Notes: Indicates Tidal’s authority over multiple ethnic groups or regions.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds further element to list; Translation: “and.”; Notes: Introduces Amraphel, third king in coalition.
  11. Amraphel — Lemma: Amraphel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Object of implied adversus; Translation: “Amraphel”; Notes: Possibly identified with a Babylonian monarch; part of the four-king alliance.
  12. regem — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Amraphel; Translation: “king”; Notes: Specifies his royal title within the list.
  13. Sennaar — Lemma: Sennaar; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine (indeclinable); Function: Genitive of place; Translation: “of Shinar”; Notes: Ancient Mesopotamian region (Hebrew: שִׁנְעָר).
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces the final name in the coalition (Arioch).
  15. Arioch — Lemma: Arioch; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Object of implied adversus; Translation: “Arioch”; Notes: Fourth member of the eastern alliance, often linked with Ellasar.
  16. regem — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Arioch; Translation: “king”; Notes: Common pattern: each proper name followed by appositional regem.
  17. Ponti — Lemma: Pontus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of location; Translation: “of Pontus”; Notes: In the Vulgate, Pontus substitutes for Ellasar, a region of Asia Minor.
  18. quatuor — Lemma: quatuor; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Subject numeral; Translation: “four”; Notes: Refers to the four eastern kings listed above.
  19. reges — Lemma: rex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “kings”; Notes: Collective subject summarizing the preceding enumeration.
  20. adversus — Lemma: adversus; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses opposition; Translation: “against”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis—sets the stage for the battle contrast.
  21. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Object of adversus; Translation: “five”; Notes: Refers to the five western kings: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar).

 

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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