Genesis 18:21

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:21 Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint: an non est ita, ut sciam.

I will go down and see whether they have done entirely according to the outcry that has come to Me, or if it is not so, that I may know.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Descendam I will go down 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
2 et and CONJ
3 videbo I will see 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
4 utrum whether INTERROG.CONJ
5 clamorem outcry ACC.SG.M
6 qui which NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
7 venit has come 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 me me ACC.SG.PRON
10 opere in deed / by work ABL.SG.N
11 compleverint they have completed 3PL.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
12 an or CONJ.ALTERN
13 non not ADV
14 est it is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
15 ita so / thus ADV
16 ut that / so that CONJ.PURP
17 sciam I may know 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Descendam et videbo — Both verbs are in the future indicative, forming a sequence of divine intent: “I will go down and see.” The verbs express an anthropopathic image of divine investigation, consistent with judicial inquiry.
Indirect Question: utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint — Introduced by utrum (“whether”), expressing uncertainty. clamorem is the object of “videbo,” with the relative clause qui venit ad me describing the outcry reaching God. opere compleverint (subjunctive) conveys doubt: “whether they have fulfilled [the outcry] by their deeds.”
Alternative Clause: an non est ita — Balances the indirect question: “or if it is not so.”
Final Clause: ut sciam — Introduces divine purpose (“that I may know”), explaining the descent and investigation as symbolic of divine justice ensuring perfect knowledge.

Morphology

  1. Descendam — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will go down”; Notes: Anthropomorphic expression of divine inspection or judgment.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links sequential divine actions.
  3. videbo — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of perception; Translation: “I will see”; Notes: Expresses divine examination before judgment.
  4. utrum — Lemma: utrum; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: interrogative; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: “whether”; Notes: Anticipates alternative introduced by “an.”
  5. clamorem — Lemma: clamor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “videbo”; Translation: “outcry”; Notes: Refers to the moral cry of injustice rising from Sodom.
  6. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “venit”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Links the outcry to its source.
  7. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “has come”; Notes: Perfect tense marks the completion of the moral report reaching heaven.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: “to”; Notes: Used with “me” to indicate the object of the cry.
  9. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Direct reference to the LORD as the moral recipient of the outcry.
  10. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “by deed / in action”; Notes: Indicates verification through actual behavior.
  11. compleverint — Lemma: compleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive, third person plural; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: “they have completed / fulfilled”; Notes: Subjunctive conveys uncertainty, testing the truth of accusation.
  12. an — Lemma: an; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces alternative; Translation: “or”; Notes: Sets up the contrasting possibility within the indirect question.
  13. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates “est ita,” forming “if it is not so.”
  14. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Expresses factual condition of reality contrasted with accusation.
  15. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of manner; Translation: “so / thus”; Notes: Indicates accordance with the reported outcry.
  16. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces final clause; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Expresses divine purpose for descent and examination.
  17. sciam — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “I may know”; Notes: Highlights divine omniscience expressed in human investigative metaphor—an assurance of just judgment.

 

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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