Genesis 17:3

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 17:3 Cecidit Abram pronus in faciem.

Abram fell face down.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cecidit fell 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Abram Abram NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
3 pronus face down NOM.SG.M.ADJ
4 in upon / on PREP+ACC
5 faciem face ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Cecidit Abram pronus in faciem — Cecidit is the main verb (“fell”); Abram serves as the subject; pronus is a predicate adjective describing the manner of falling; in faciem forms a prepositional phrase expressing direction, literally “upon his face.” The sentence depicts Abraham’s act of reverence and humility before the LORD.

Morphology

  1. Cecidit — Lemma: cado; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “fell”; Notes: Indicates a completed action, often expressing physical prostration or reverence.
  2. Abram — Lemma: Abram; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “cecidit”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: Patriarch’s name prior to being changed to Abraham.
  3. pronus — Lemma: pronus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective modifying “Abram”; Translation: “face down”; Notes: Describes bodily position showing humility.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “upon / on”; Notes: Indicates direction of movement or contact.
  5. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of preposition “in”; Translation: “face”; Notes: Refers metaphorically to his own face, meaning he fell prostrate in awe.

 

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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