Genesis 19:10

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:10 Et ecce miserunt manum viri, et introduxerunt ad se Lot, clauseruntque ostium:

And behold, the men stretched out their hand, and brought Lot to themselves inside, and they closed the door.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ecce behold INTERJ
3 miserunt they sent / they stretched out 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 manum hand ACC.SG.F
5 viri men NOM.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 introduxerunt they brought in 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
8 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
9 se themselves ACC.PL.REFL.PRON
10 Lot Lot ACC.SG.M
11 clauseruntque and they closed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
12 ostium door ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Et ecce miserunt manum viri — The interjection ecce adds immediacy: “behold.” The subject viri refers to the angelic men, and the perfect verb miserunt (“stretched out”) describes decisive intervention.
Coordinated Clause: et introduxerunt ad se Lot — The verb introduxerunt (“they brought in”) expresses completion of the rescue, with ad se showing reflexive direction—“to themselves,” i.e., into safety inside the house.
Final Clause: clauseruntque ostium — The enclitic -que ties this final act to the prior two, completing a triadic rescue sequence: stretch, pull in, and shut. The perfect tense emphasizes finality and protection.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links sequential clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective for narrative progression.
  2. ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: interjection; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces sudden or divinely guided action; Translation: “behold”; Notes: Used frequently in Scripture to mark divine initiative or surprise.
  3. miserunt — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb of action; Translation: “they stretched out”; Notes: Perfect tense describes completed intervention by the men.
  4. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “miserunt”; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Singular collective use; denotes protective gesture rather than aggression.
  5. viri — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “miserunt” and “introduxerunt”; Translation: “men”; Notes: Refers to the two angelic visitors now intervening directly.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects consecutive verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the rescue actions into a single event chain.
  7. introduxerunt — Lemma: introduco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they brought in”; Notes: Perfect aspect indicates successful completion of the rescue.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses motion toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Used with reflexive pronoun to signify direction “toward themselves.”
  9. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of “introduxerunt”; Translation: “themselves”; Notes: Indicates motion to the subject’s own position, showing they brought Lot into their protective space.
  10. Lot — Lemma: Lot; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “introduxerunt”; Translation: “Lot”; Notes: The recipient of divine deliverance from danger.
  11. clauseruntque — Lemma: claudo + -que; Part of Speech: verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: compound verb phrase; Translation: “and they closed”; Notes: Enclitic “-que” links this final securing act with the preceding rescue actions.
  12. ostium — Lemma: ostium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “clauserunt”; Translation: “door”; Notes: Symbolic closure between divine protection and external destruction.

 

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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