Genesis 18:30

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:30 Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris Domine, si loquar: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta? Respondit: Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.

“Please,” he said, “let not the Lord be angry if I speak: What if thirty are found there?” He answered: “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ne do not / let not PART.NEG.SUBJ
2 quæso I pray / please 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 inquit he said 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
4 indigneris you be angry 2SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
6 si if CONJ.COND
7 loquar I speak / may speak 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (DEPONENT)
8 Quid what / what if INTERROG.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
9 si if CONJ.COND
10 ibi there ADV
11 inventa found NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
12 fuerint should be / have been 3PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
13 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL
14 Respondit he answered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
15 Non not ADV
16 faciam I will do 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
17 si if CONJ.COND
18 invenero I find 1SG.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
19 ibi there ADV
20 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Polite Plea: Ne quæso, inquit, indigneris Domine — The phrase Ne quæso combines a negative subjunctive with a polite imperative sense: “Please, do not be angry.” Domine (vocative) directly addresses the LORD, expressing humility. The subjunctive indigneris softens the request, typical of reverent supplication.
Subordinate Clause: si loquar — The deponent subjunctive loquar introduces Abraham’s cautious condition: “if I speak.” The subjunctive tone implies deference rather than assertion.
Hypothetical Question: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta? — A rhetorical question in a future more vivid condition, using fuerint (future perfect) to express a possible scenario. The implied subject is “righteous (men).”
Divine Response: Respondit: Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta. — The LORD replies with solemn assurance. Non faciam (“I will not do it”) refers to the act of destruction. The conditional si invenero ibi triginta restates the terms of mercy with exact symmetry to Abraham’s petition.

Morphology

  1. Ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: particle; Form: negative with subjunctive; Function: expresses polite prohibition; Translation: “do not / let not”; Notes: Used in deferential petitions, often paired with quæso.
  2. quæso — Lemma: quæso; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, first person singular; Function: parenthetical interjection of politeness; Translation: “please / I pray”; Notes: Polite appeal expressing humility before divine authority.
  3. inquit — Lemma: inquam; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Used formulaically to mark direct discourse within a conversation.
  4. indigneris — Lemma: indignor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: verb of polite prohibition; Translation: “you be angry”; Notes: Subjunctive in a negative request introduced by ne.
  5. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Refers here to  אדני (Adonai), approached reverently as judge and sovereign.
  6. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Opens a hypothetical or deferential condition.
  7. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: main verb of condition; Translation: “I speak / may speak”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses respectful permission rather than bold assertion.
  8. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “what / what if”; Notes: Begins a new hypothetical scenario.
  9. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces conditional protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Used with future perfect to express potential circumstance.
  10. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to Sodom, the city under discussion.
  11. inventa — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “found”; Notes: Implied subject “righteous” is understood.
  12. fuerint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “should be / have been”; Notes: Marks hypothetical event prior to divine response.
  13. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical subject; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Reflects Abraham’s continuing reduction in his appeal.
  14. Respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces divine reply; Translation: “he answered”; Notes: Formulaic transition to YHWH’s response.
  15. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Denies the act of destruction.
  16. faciam — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will do”; Notes: Implies “I will not do (this),” a solemn divine assurance.
  17. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “if”; Notes: Introduces divine conditional mercy.
  18. invenero — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: verb of condition; Translation: “I find”; Notes: Future perfect emphasizes condition preceding judgment.
  19. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Repeats locative focus on Sodom.
  20. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of condition; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Marks Abraham’s further reduction in the count of righteous, showing divine patience and compassion.

 

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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