Genesis 15:17

Posted on January 15, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 15:17 Cum ergo occubuisset sol, facta est caligo tenebrosa, et apparuit clibanus fumans, et lampas ignis transiens inter divisiones illas.

And when the sun had gone down, a dark gloom was made, and there appeared a smoking furnace and a lamp of fire passing between those divisions.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum when CONJ
2 ergo therefore / then ADV
3 occubuisset had gone down 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 sol sun NOM.SG.M
5 facta was made NOM.SG.F PERF.PASS.PTCP
6 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 caligo gloom / darkness NOM.SG.F
8 tenebrosa dark NOM.SG.F ADJ
9 et and CONJ
10 apparuit appeared 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 clibanus furnace NOM.SG.M
12 fumans smoking NOM.SG.M PRES.ACT.PTCP
13 et and CONJ
14 lampas lamp / torch NOM.SG.F
15 ignis of fire GEN.SG.M
16 transiens passing NOM.SG.F PRES.ACT.PTCP
17 inter between PREP+ACC
18 divisiones divisions / pieces ACC.PL.F
19 illas those ACC.PL.F DEM.ADJ

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cum ergo occubuisset sol — subjunctive in a temporal clause (“when the sun had gone down”), marking the moment of divine manifestation. The pluperfect occubuisset indicates prior action relative to the following main clauses.
Main Clause 1: facta est caligo tenebrosa — periphrastic passive indicating a resulting state (“a dark gloom was made”).
Main Clause 2: et apparuit clibanus fumans, et lampas ignis transiens inter divisiones illas — describes the theophany; the two subjects (clibanus fumans and lampas ignis) are coordinated by et; transiens modifies lampas, showing its motion “passing between those divisions.”

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Marks temporal subordination; connects prior event with divine revelation sequence.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional adverb; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Strengthens logical connection, indicating narrative progression.
  3. occubuisset — Lemma: occumbo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had gone down”; Notes: Pluperfect subjunctive expresses completed past action before main event.
  4. sol — Lemma: sol; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of occubuisset; Translation: “sun”; Notes: Symbolic of light withdrawing before divine manifestation.
  5. facta — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular feminine, perfect passive participle; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “was made”; Notes: Indicates result of divine action — the onset of darkness.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Auxiliary of periphrastic passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms perfect passive construction with facta.
  7. caligo — Lemma: caligo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of facta est; Translation: “gloom / darkness”; Notes: Literal darkness symbolizing divine mystery and awe.
  8. tenebrosa — Lemma: tenebrosus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies caligo; Translation: “dark”; Notes: Redundant intensification characteristic of biblical Latin for emphasis.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links subsequent clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple connector joining independent theophanic descriptions.
  10. apparuit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “appeared”; Notes: Introduces divine manifestation; visual revelation of God’s covenant presence.
  11. clibanus — Lemma: clibanus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of apparuit; Translation: “furnace”; Notes: Symbolic image of consuming fire and purification.
  12. fumans — Lemma: fumo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine, present active participle; Function: Modifies clibanus; Translation: “smoking”; Notes: Suggests dense theophanic cloud imagery often associated with divine presence.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the two symbols of divine manifestation (furnace and lamp).
  14. lampas — Lemma: lampas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Second subject of apparuit; Translation: “lamp / torch”; Notes: Represents divine illumination and covenantal light.
  15. ignis — Lemma: ignis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of description; Translation: “of fire”; Notes: Qualifies lampas, denoting fiery essence of the manifestation.
  16. transiens — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Nominative singular feminine, present active participle; Function: Modifies lampas; Translation: “passing”; Notes: Describes movement of divine fire between sacrificial halves, enacting covenant ritual.
  17. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates spatial relation; Translation: “between”; Notes: Preposition marking the location of divine movement.
  18. divisiones — Lemma: divisio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of inter; Translation: “divisions / pieces”; Notes: Refers to bisected animal sacrifices prepared earlier in the ritual.
  19. illas — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies divisiones; Translation: “those”; Notes: Refers anaphorically to the sacrifices previously mentioned, linking narrative continuity.

 

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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