Genesis 19:16

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:16 Dissimulante illo, apprehenderunt manum eius, et manum uxoris, ac duarum filiarum eius, eo quod parceret Dominus illi.

And as he hesitated, they took hold of his hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hands of his two daughters, because the LORD was merciful to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dissimulante as he hesitated ABL.SG.M.PRES.PART.ACT
2 illo he / that one ABL.SG.M.PRON
3 apprehenderunt they took hold 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
4 manum hand ACC.SG.F
5 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 manum hand ACC.SG.F
8 uxoris of (his) wife GEN.SG.F
9 ac and also CONJ
10 duarum two GEN.PL.F.NUM
11 filiarum daughters GEN.PL.F
12 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
13 eo because / by this ABL.SG.M.DEMONSTR.PRON
14 quod because CONJ
15 parceret he was sparing / had mercy 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
16 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
17 illi to him DAT.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Ablative Absolute: Dissimulante illo — Literally “with him hesitating.” The participle Dissimulante forms an ablative absolute construction, providing temporal and circumstantial context.
Main Clause: apprehenderunt manum eius, et manum uxoris, ac duarum filiarum eius — The plural verb apprehenderunt (“they took hold”) governs a series of coordinated objects. The use of ac (“and also”) emphasizes inclusion of all family members.
Causal Clause: eo quod parceret Dominus illi — Introduced by eo quod (“because”), indicating the divine reason for rescue. The imperfect subjunctive parceret conveys motive or divine intention in indirect narration.

Morphology

  1. Dissimulante — Lemma: dissimulo; Part of Speech: verb participle; Form: ablative singular masculine, present active participle; Function: part of ablative absolute; Translation: “as he hesitated”; Notes: Describes Lot’s indecision in the moment of impending judgment.
  2. illo — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: subject of ablative absolute; Translation: “he / that one”; Notes: Refers specifically to Lot, emphasizing his hesitation.
  3. apprehenderunt — Lemma: apprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person plural; Function: main verb; Translation: “they took hold”; Notes: Refers to the angels’ decisive intervention.
  4. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Indicates physical grasp symbolizing rescue.
  5. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Lot, specifying the hand taken.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequentially links the next object.
  7. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of apprehenderunt; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Repeated for emphasis on distinct individuals.
  8. uxoris — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: “of (his) wife”; Notes: Marks the second rescued person.
  9. ac — Lemma: ac (atque); Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds emphatic conjunction; Translation: “and also”; Notes: Stronger connective than et, intensifying inclusion.
  10. duarum — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: modifies “filiarum”; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies exact number of Lot’s daughters saved.
  11. filiarum — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: possessive; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes genitive phrase “ac duarum filiarum eius.”
  12. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: “his”; Notes: Again refers to Lot’s family relations.
  13. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: correlative with “quod”; Translation: “because / by this”; Notes: Introduces causal construction with “quod.”
  14. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Explains divine motive for rescue.
  15. parceret — Lemma: parco; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of causal clause; Translation: “he spared / was merciful”; Notes: Subjunctive expresses divine purpose in narrative style.
  16. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “parceret”; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH’s compassion as the cause of salvation.
  17. illi — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “parceret”; Translation: “to him”; Notes: The recipient of divine mercy — Lot.

 

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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