Genesis 18:16

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:16 Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam: et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.

When the men rose up from there, they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham walked with them, escorting them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cum when CONJ.SUBORD
2 ergo therefore / then ADV
3 surrexissent they had risen 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 inde from there ADV
5 viri men NOM.PL.M
6 direxerunt they directed / turned 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
7 oculos eyes ACC.PL.M
8 contra toward / against PREP+ACC
9 Sodomam Sodom ACC.SG.F.PROP.NOUN
10 et and CONJ
11 Abraham Abraham NOM.SG.M.PROP.NOUN
12 simul together / at the same time ADV
13 gradiebatur was walking 3SG.IMPF.DEP.IND
14 deducens leading / escorting NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PTCP
15 eos them ACC.PL.M.PRON

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri — Introduced by Cum (“when”), using the pluperfect subjunctive surrexissent to denote anterior action. viri (“the men”) are the subject, inde (“from there”) marks the place of departure, and ergo (“then”) transitions the narrative.
Main Clause: direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam — The men “turned their eyes toward Sodom,” signifying the narrative shift toward divine judgment. oculos functions as the direct object of direxerunt.
Coordinated Clause: et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos — Abraham as subject, gradiebatur (deponent verb) describes continued courteous movement, with deducens eos (“escorting them”) expressing purpose or accompaniment, indicating Abraham’s hospitality and reverence.

Morphology

  1. Cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Marks action preceding the main clause, typical narrative conjunction.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional adverb; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Adds continuity to the preceding event.
  3. surrexissent — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of temporal clause; Translation: “they had risen”; Notes: Used after “cum” to show a completed action before the main clause.
  4. inde — Lemma: inde; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “from there”; Notes: Indicates departure from Abraham’s dwelling.
  5. viri — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “surrexissent” and “direxerunt”; Translation: “men”; Notes: Refers to the three heavenly visitors.
  6. direxerunt — Lemma: dirigo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they directed / turned”; Notes: Marks the action of intent toward Sodom.
  7. oculos — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Concrete expression of attention or direction of gaze.
  8. contra — Lemma: contra; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction or opposition; Translation: “toward / against”; Notes: Used spatially, not adversatively here.
  9. Sodomam — Lemma: Sodoma; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “contra”; Translation: “Sodom”; Notes: Marks the city destined for divine scrutiny.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the two sequential actions.
  11. Abraham — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “gradiebatur”; Translation: “Abraham”; Notes: The patriarch accompanying the divine visitors.
  12. simul — Lemma: simul; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “gradiebatur”; Translation: “together / at the same time”; Notes: Indicates joint movement in honor of the guests.
  13. gradiebatur — Lemma: gradior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: imperfect indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: “was walking”; Notes: Deponent form reflecting polite accompaniment.
  14. deducens — Lemma: deduco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine, present active; Function: participle of attendant circumstance; Translation: “escorting”; Notes: Customary act of courtesy showing respect for departing guests.
  15. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “deducens”; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the three angelic visitors Abraham honors by escorting.

 

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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