Genesis 15:10

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:10 Qui tollens universa hæc, divisit ea per medium, et utrasque partes contra se altrinsecus posuit: aves autem non divisit.

And taking all these, he divided them in the middle, and set each part opposite the other; but he did not divide the birds.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Qui who NOM.SG.M REL.PRON
2 tollens taking NOM.SG.M PRES.ACT.PTCP
3 universa all ACC.PL.N
4 hæc these ACC.PL.N DEM.PRON
5 divisit he divided 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 ea them ACC.PL.N PRON
7 per through PREP+ACC
8 medium the middle ACC.SG.N
9 et and CONJ
10 utrasque each / both ACC.PL.F DEM.ADJ
11 partes parts ACC.PL.F
12 contra opposite PREP+ACC
13 se each other / himself ACC.SG.REFL.PRON
14 altrinsecus on either side ADV
15 posuit he placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 aves birds ACC.PL.F
17 autem but / however CONJ
18 non not ADV
19 divisit he divided 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Relative Clause: Qui tollens universa hæc — participial clause modifying Abram, describing the preparatory act of taking the sacrificial animals.
Main Clause: divisit ea per medium — divisit as the main finite verb, with ea (them) as direct object and per medium expressing manner (“in the middle”).
Coordinate Clause: et utrasque partes contra se altrinsecus posuit — denotes the ritual arrangement of halves, with contra se meaning “opposite each other.”
Adversative Clause: aves autem non divisit — exception stated with autem; birds are excluded from the cutting ritual, aligning with ancient covenant customs.

Morphology

  1. Qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Introduces subordinate clause referring to Abram; Translation: “who”; Notes: Links sentence to prior divine command.
  2. tollens — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine, present active participle; Function: Describes concurrent action; Translation: “taking”; Notes: Suggests Abram’s immediate obedience to God’s command.
  3. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Modifies hæc; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes totality of the items God commanded.
  4. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of tollens; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the sacrificial animals listed in the previous verse.
  5. divisit — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he divided”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed covenant preparation action.
  6. ea — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of divisit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers back to all animals taken.
  7. per — Lemma: per; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses spatial relation; Translation: “through / across”; Notes: Indicates method of dividing.
  8. medium — Lemma: medium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of per; Translation: “the middle”; Notes: Denotes bisecting position of sacrifice.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential ritual actions.
  10. utrasque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies partes; Translation: “each / both”; Notes: Refers to both halves of each sacrificed animal.
  11. partes — Lemma: pars; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of posuit; Translation: “parts”; Notes: Physical portions of the bisected carcasses.
  12. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses position; Translation: “opposite”; Notes: Marks symmetrical arrangement of the divided parts.
  13. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Object of contra; Translation: “each other”; Notes: Indicates mutual orientation of halves.
  14. altrinsecus — Lemma: altrinsecus; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Describes placement; Translation: “on either side”; Notes: Depicts parallel positioning along the path between sacrifices.
  15. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he placed”; Notes: Expresses deliberate positioning according to ritual law.
  16. aves — Lemma: avis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of divisit (negated); Translation: “birds”; Notes: Refers to turtledove and pigeon, previously listed.
  17. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Marks contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces exception clause to general pattern of division.
  18. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates divisit; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies action of cutting applied to birds.
  19. divisit — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb (negated); Translation: “he divided”; Notes: Repeated verb emphasizes the selective nature of ritual division — mammals divided, birds kept whole.

 

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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