Genesis 15:12

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:12 Cumque sol occumberet, sopor irruit super Abram, et horror magnus et tenebrosus invasit eum.

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a great and dark fear came upon him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC
2 sol sun NOM.SG.M
3 occumberet was setting 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 sopor sleep NOM.SG.M
5 irruit fell / rushed upon 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 Abram Abram ACC.SG.M (INDECL. PROPN)
8 et and CONJ
9 horror fear / dread NOM.SG.M
10 magnus great NOM.SG.M ADJ
11 et and CONJ
12 tenebrosus dark NOM.SG.M ADJ
13 invasit came upon / invaded 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 eum him ACC.SG.M PRON

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque sol occumberet — subjunctive in a temporal clause indicating background time (“when the sun was going down”); -que links this to the following event.
Main Clause 1: sopor irruit super Abram — independent clause, subject sopor (“sleep”) with verb irruit (“fell upon”), and prepositional phrase super Abram marking the experiencer.
Main Clause 2: et horror magnus et tenebrosus invasit eum — coordinated with the previous, double adjective magnus and tenebrosus intensify the emotional force; invasit governs the pronoun eum as its object.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction + enclitic; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines cum (when) with -que (and), linking this clause to the prior sequence of events.
  2. sol — Lemma: sol; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of occumberet; Translation: “sun”; Notes: Personified element signaling the approach of divine revelation at dusk.
  3. occumberet — Lemma: occumbo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “was setting / going down”; Notes: Subjunctive marks dependent temporal background; evokes twilight transition to vision.
  4. sopor — Lemma: sopor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of irruit; Translation: “sleep”; Notes: Symbol of divine-induced trance in prophetic experiences.
  5. irruit — Lemma: irruo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “fell upon / rushed upon”; Notes: Violent verb showing suddenness of the divine trance.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses direction; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Indicates the resting of the sleep over Abram, not mere contact.
  7. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine (indeclinable Hebrew name); Function: Object of super; Translation: “Abram”; Notes: Recipient of divine vision in the covenant narrative.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins sequential experiences: sleep followed by fear.
  9. horror — Lemma: horror; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of invasit; Translation: “fear / dread”; Notes: Represents overwhelming awe before divine presence.
  10. magnus — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies horror; Translation: “great”; Notes: Emphasizes intensity of the vision’s emotional weight.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates parallel epithets for the fear.
  12. tenebrosus — Lemma: tenebrosus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies horror; Translation: “dark”; Notes: Symbolically tied to mystery and divine revelation through obscurity.
  13. invasit — Lemma: invado; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “came upon / invaded”; Notes: Conveys overpowering onset of divine dread or vision.
  14. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of invasit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Abram, the one upon whom the visionary fear descends.

 

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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