Genesis 19:13

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:13 delebimus enim locum istum, eo quod increverit clamor eorum coram Domino, qui misit nos ut perdamus illos.

For we will destroy this place, because their outcry has increased before the LORD, who sent us to destroy them.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 delebimus we will destroy 1PL.FUT.ACT.IND
2 enim for CONJ
3 locum place ACC.SG.M
4 istum this ACC.SG.M.DEM.PRON
5 eo because ABL.SG.N.PRON
6 quod that / because CONJ
7 increverit has increased 3SG.PERF.ACT.SUBJ
8 clamor outcry NOM.SG.M
9 eorum of them / their GEN.PL.M.PRON
10 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
11 Domino the LORD ABL.SG.M
12 qui who NOM.SG.M.REL.PRON
13 misit sent 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 nos us ACC.PL.PRON
15 ut that / so that CONJ
16 perdamus we may destroy 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
17 illos them ACC.PL.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: delebimus enim locum istum — The future active delebimus (“we will destroy”) states divine intent. enim introduces the causal explanation, linking to the preceding warning.
Causal Clause: eo quod increverit clamor eorum coram Domino — Literally “because their outcry has increased before the LORD.” The phrase eo quod expresses cause, functioning like “because.” The perfect subjunctive increverit (from *incresco*) indicates a completed escalation of sin and injustice.
Relative Clause: qui misit nos ut perdamus illos — “who sent us to destroy them.” The relative pronoun qui connects the LORD to His command, while ut perdamus forms a purpose clause with subjunctive, expressing divine mission.

Morphology

  1. delebimus — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, first person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “we will destroy”; Notes: Indicates imminent divine destruction of Sodom.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: introduces causal explanation; Translation: “for”; Notes: Explains the reason behind the divine decision.
  3. locum — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “delebimus”; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers specifically to the city of Sodom.
  4. istum — Lemma: iste; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies “locum”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates proximity in discourse or reference to the location at hand.
  5. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: correlative with “quod”; Translation: “because”; Notes: Part of the idiom “eo quod” introducing a causal clause.
  6. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces reason clause; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Works with “eo” to form “because.”
  7. increverit — Lemma: incresco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: “has increased”; Notes: Subjunctive used after “eo quod” expressing subjective cause or perception.
  8. clamor — Lemma: clamor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “increverit”; Translation: “outcry”; Notes: Refers to the collective cry of injustice rising to the LORD.
  9. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive; Translation: “of them / their”; Notes: Refers to the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
  10. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses presence before someone; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Indicates the moral and judicial awareness of YHWH.
  11. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the divine judge.
  12. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “misit”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as the sender of the angels.
  13. misit — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “sent”; Notes: Indicates completed divine commissioning.
  14. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: direct object of “misit”; Translation: “us”; Notes: Refers to the angelic messengers sent to execute judgment.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: introduces purpose clause; Function: expresses divine purpose; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive “perdamus.”
  16. perdamus — Lemma: perdo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, first person plural; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “we may destroy”; Notes: Expresses intended outcome of divine sending.
  17. illos — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “perdamus”; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the inhabitants of Sodom marked for 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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