Genesis 18:3

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:3 Et dixit: Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum:

And he said: “Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
4 si if CONJ
5 inveni I have found 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 gratiam favor ACC.SG.F
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 oculis eyes ABL.PL.M
9 tuis your ABL.PL.M.POSS.ADJ
10 ne do not PART.NEG.SUBJ
11 transeas pass by 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 servum servant ACC.SG.M
13 tuum your ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Et dixit — simple narrative conjunction introducing Abraham’s speech.
Vocative Phrase: Domine — direct address meaning “Lord,” likely addressing the divine visitor, used here as a respectful plea.
Conditional Clause: si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis — si introduces a condition; inveni is the perfect indicative (“I have found”); gratiam is the direct object (“favor”); in oculis tuis (“in your eyes”) expresses divine approval or grace.
Prohibitive Clause: ne transeas servum tuum — ne with the subjunctive transeas forms a negative request: “do not pass by”; servum tuum is the object of the plea, referring humbly to Abraham himself.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links to preceding narrative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Introduces a continuation of Abraham’s actions following his bowing.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks transition from action to speech.
  3. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Corresponds to Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ʾAdonai), a title of respect meaning “my Lord,” used here as a reverent address rather than the Tetragrammaton (YHWH).
  4. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces hypothetical clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Opens a humble conditional appeal.
  5. inveni — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of the condition; Translation: “I have found”; Notes: Expresses Abraham’s awareness of divine grace already shown.
  6. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “inveni”; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Refers to divine goodwill or approval.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Used idiomatically with “oculis” to mean “in the eyes of.”
  8. oculis — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Symbolic for perception or judgment in Hebrew idiom translated into Latin.
  9. tuis — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies “oculis”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers to the divine person addressed, expressing humility.
  10. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: particle; Form: negative subjunctive marker; Function: introduces prohibition; Translation: “do not”; Notes: Used with subjunctive mood to form polite negative requests or prayers.
  11. transeas — Lemma: transeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: main verb in prohibition; Translation: “pass by”; Notes: Expresses Abraham’s plea that the LORD remain and accept hospitality.
  12. servum — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “transeas”; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Abraham refers to himself humbly in relational subordination to God.
  13. tuum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “servum”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Reinforces humility by acknowledging divine authority over the speaker.

 

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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