Genesis 18:31

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 18:31 Quia semel, ait, cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti? Ait: Non interficiam propter viginti.

“Because once,” he said, “I have begun, I will speak to my Lord: What if twenty are found there?” He said: “I will not destroy because of twenty.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quia because / since CONJ.CAUSAL
2 semel once ADV
3 ait he said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 cœpi I began / have begun 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 loquar I will speak / may speak 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (DEPONENT)
6 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
7 Dominum Lord ACC.SG.M
8 meum my ACC.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
9 Quid what / what if INTERROG.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
10 si if CONJ.COND
11 ibi there ADV
12 inventa found NOM.PL.N.PERF.PASS.PTCP
13 fuerint should be / have been 3PL.FUTPERF.ACT.IND
14 viginti twenty NUM.INDECL
15 Ait He said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 Non not ADV
17 interficiam I will not destroy 1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 propter because of / for the sake of PREP+ACC
19 viginti twenty NUM.INDECL

Syntax

Causal Clause: Quia semel, ait, cœpi loquar ad Dominum meum — The conjunction quia introduces Abraham’s rationale for continuing to speak. The adverb semel (“once”) emphasizes he has already begun. The deponent loquar (subjunctive) expresses humble intention: “I may speak.” The object ad Dominum meum (“to my Lord”) reveals deep reverence, acknowledging divine authority.
Hypothetical Question: Quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti? — Another step in the intercession chain. The future perfect fuerint again signals a conditional premise of discovery. The numeral viginti continues the progressive reduction of the righteous count.
Divine Reply: Ait: Non interficiam propter viginti. — The LORD’s mercy continues. The future interficiam (“I will not destroy”) negates judgment. The prepositional phrase propter viginti emphasizes the cause for divine restraint — twenty righteous individuals.

Morphology

  1. Quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: causal; Function: introduces reason; Translation: “because / since”; Notes: Marks the justification for Abraham’s continued speaking.
  2. semel — Lemma: semel; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “cœpi”; Translation: “once”; Notes: Highlights that Abraham began once and continues reverently.
  3. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common biblical narrative verb of speaking.
  4. cœpi — Lemma: coepi; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I began”; Notes: Introduces Abraham’s reasoning for persistence.
  5. loquar — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: main verb of condition; Translation: “I may speak”; Notes: Polite subjunctive showing reverence and restraint.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Denotes direction toward the person addressed.
  7. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Refers here to אדני (Adonai), addressed directly in humble speech.
  8. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “Dominum”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses intimate, personal relationship of faith and reverence.
  9. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: nominative/accusative singular neuter; Function: introduces rhetorical question; Translation: “what / what if”; Notes: Opens another hypothetical plea.
  10. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: conditional; Function: introduces protasis; Translation: “if”; Notes: Marks conditional clause within Abraham’s negotiation.
  11. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to Sodom as the conditional setting.
  12. inventa — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative plural neuter, perfect passive participle; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: “found”; Notes: Describes those discovered (righteous people implied).
  13. fuerint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb of condition; Translation: “should be / have been”; Notes: Typical of polite conditional clauses with future reference.
  14. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numeric subject; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: Continues the decreasing count from fifty to twenty righteous.
  15. Ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: introduces divine reply; Translation: “He said”; Notes: Formulaic introduction of divine speech.
  16. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates act of destruction; expresses mercy.
  17. interficiam — Lemma: interficio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I will destroy”; Notes: Used here negatively with non — “I will not destroy.”
  18. propter — Lemma: propter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: causal; Translation: “because of / for the sake of”; Notes: Expresses the reason for divine forbearance.
  19. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: object of preposition; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: Marks Abraham’s sixth petition, revealing divine patience and the righteous remnant concept.

 

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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