Genesis 19:19

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:19 quia invenit servus tuus gratiam coram te, et magnificasti misericordiam tuam quam fecisti mecum, ut salvares animam meam, nec possum in monte salvari, ne forte apprehendat me malum, et moriar:

because your servant has found favor before you, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown toward me, in saving my life; but I cannot be saved in the mountain, lest perhaps evil overtake me, and I die.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quia because CONJ
2 invenit has found 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 servus servant NOM.SG.M
4 tuus your NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
5 gratiam favor ACC.SG.F
6 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
7 te you ABL.SG.PRON
8 et and CONJ
9 magnificasti you have magnified 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 misericordiam mercy ACC.SG.F
11 tuam your ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
12 quam which ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
13 fecisti you have done / made 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 mecum with me ABL.SG.PRON + PREP
15 ut so that / in order that CONJ
16 salvares you might save 2SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
17 animam life / soul ACC.SG.F
18 meam my ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
19 nec nor / but not CONJ.NEG
20 possum I am able / can 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
21 in in / upon PREP+ABL
22 monte mountain ABL.SG.M
23 salvari to be saved PRES.PASS.INF
24 ne lest CONJ
25 forte perhaps ADV
26 apprehendat may overtake 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
27 me me ACC.SG.PRON
28 malum evil / calamity NOM.SG.N
29 et and CONJ
30 moriar I may die 1SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Causal Clause: quia invenit servus tuus gratiam coram te — Introduced by quia (“because”), with the perfect invenit describing completed favor found before the LORD. The phrase parallels the Hebrew idiom “to find favor in the eyes of.”
Coordinate Clause: et magnificasti misericordiam tuam quam fecisti mecum — Perfect magnificasti shows divine action; the relative clause quam fecisti mecum specifies the mercy demonstrated.
Final Clause: ut salvares animam meam — Introduced by ut, expressing divine purpose: “that you might save my life.”
Adversative and Negative Clauses: nec possum in monte salvari introduces Lot’s concern, while ne forte apprehendat me malum, et moriar expresses his fear in a negative purpose clause with subjunctives apprehendat and moriar.

Morphology

  1. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Introduces reason for gratitude and appeal.
  2. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has found”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s recognition of divine favor.
  3. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “invenit”; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Indicates humility before divine authority.
  4. tuus — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “servus”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Expresses servitude to God.
  5. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “invenit”; Translation: “favor”; Notes: Common biblical idiom for divine grace.
  6. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces prepositional phrase; Translation: “before / in the presence of”; Notes: Denotes proximity to the divine presence.
  7. te — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: “you”; Notes: Refers to the LORD being addressed.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues thought of divine action.
  9. magnificasti — Lemma: magnifico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “you have magnified”; Notes: Describes God’s abundant mercy.
  10. misericordiam — Lemma: misericordia; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “magnificasti”; Translation: “mercy”; Notes: A central theological term in Vulgate usage.
  11. tuam — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “misericordiam”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Refers specifically to divine compassion.
  12. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to “misericordiam.”
  13. fecisti — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “you have done / shown”; Notes: Expresses completed divine action.
  14. mecum — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun + preposition; Form: ablative singular; Function: complement; Translation: “with me”; Notes: Indicates personal divine favor to Lot.
  15. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Connects divine action to intended salvation.
  16. salvares — Lemma: salvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: “you might save”; Notes: Subjunctive marks divine intent.
  17. animam — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “salvares”; Translation: “life / soul”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s preservation from destruction.
  18. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “animam”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes gratitude for personal deliverance.
  19. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating negative; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: “but not”; Notes: Marks transition from gratitude to fear.
  20. possum — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I can”; Notes: Introduces Lot’s objection and fear.
  21. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks place of potential refuge — the mountain.
  22. monte — Lemma: mons; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “mountain”; Notes: Location proposed for escape.
  23. salvari — Lemma: salvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive; Translation: “to be saved”; Notes: Passive reflects dependence on divine aid.
  24. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: negative purpose; Function: introduces warning clause; Translation: “lest”; Notes: Expresses fear of calamity.
  25. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifies uncertainty; Translation: “perhaps”; Notes: Adds tone of anxiety and humility.
  26. apprehendat — Lemma: apprehendo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active subjunctive, third person singular; Function: verb of fear clause; Translation: “may overtake”; Notes: Expresses possible calamity.
  27. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular; Function: object of “apprehendat”; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Lot himself as the endangered one.
  28. malum — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “apprehendat”; Translation: “evil / calamity”; Notes: Represents divine or natural judgment.
  29. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects final verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins consequences of fear.
  30. moriar — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present active subjunctive, first person singular; Function: verb of final clause; Translation: “I may die”; Notes: Subjunctive dependent on “ne” indicates potential consequence feared by Lot — physical death resulting from the calamity that might overtake him.

 

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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