Genesis 19:20

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:20 Est civitas hæc iuxta, ad quam possum fugere, parva, et salvabor in ea: numquid non modica est, et vivet anima mea?

This city is near, to which I can flee, a small one, and I shall be saved there: is it not a little one, and shall my life live?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
2 civitas city NOM.SG.F
3 hæc this NOM.SG.F.DEMONSTR.ADJ
4 iuxta near / close by ADV
5 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
6 quam which / to which ACC.SG.F.REL.PRON
7 possum I am able 1SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 fugere to flee PRES.ACT.INF
9 parva small / little NOM.SG.F.ADJ
10 et and CONJ
11 salvabor I shall be saved 1SG.FUT.PASS.IND
12 in in / within PREP+ABL
13 ea it / that (city) ABL.SG.F.PRON
14 numquid is it not / surely INTERROG.PART
15 non not ADV.NEG
16 modica small / little NOM.SG.F.ADJ
17 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
18 et and CONJ
19 vivet shall live 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
20 anima soul / life NOM.SG.F
21 mea my NOM.SG.F.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Est civitas hæc iuxta — Simple existential statement, introducing the nearby city as the object of Lot’s plea.
Relative Clause: ad quam possum fugere — The relative pronoun quam (“to which”) connects the antecedent civitas with the verb possum fugere (“I can flee”).
Coordinate Clause: parva, et salvabor in ea — Adjective parva is predicative, describing the city’s size. salvabor is a future passive verb showing Lot’s expectation of rescue.
Rhetorical Question: numquid non modica est, et vivet anima mea? — Begins with the interrogative particle numquid, expecting an affirmative response: “Surely it is small, and my life will live?” expressing hopeful persuasion toward mercy.

Morphology

  1. Est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: States existence or condition of the nearby city.
  2. civitas — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “city”; Notes: Refers to Zoar, the small city spared from destruction.
  3. hæc — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “civitas”; Translation: “this”; Notes: Indicates proximity of the city to Lot.
  4. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “est”; Translation: “near”; Notes: Spatial adverb marking closeness.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: “to / toward”; Notes: Used with “quam” in relative phrase.
  6. quam — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: introduces relative clause; Translation: “which / to which”; Notes: Connects “civitas” to the verb “fugere.”
  7. possum — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: “I am able”; Notes: Introduces Lot’s practical reasoning for his request.
  8. fugere — Lemma: fugio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive to “possum”; Translation: “to flee”; Notes: Expresses Lot’s desired action for survival.
  9. parva — Lemma: parvus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective modifying “civitas”; Translation: “small”; Notes: Lot appeals to the city’s insignificance as grounds for divine mercy.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects parallel clauses of description and hope.
  11. salvabor — Lemma: salvo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future passive indicative, first person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “I shall be saved”; Notes: Expresses confidence in divine deliverance.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Denotes location of safety.
  13. ea — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “it / in it”; Notes: Refers back to “civitas.”
  14. numquid — Lemma: numquid; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting “yes”; Translation: “is it not?”; Notes: Reflects polite persuasion.
  15. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: negative; Function: negates “est”; Translation: “not”; Notes: Enhances rhetorical tone with “numquid.”
  16. modica — Lemma: modicus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “small / little”; Notes: Repetition for emphasis on the city’s modest size.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Second existential statement reinforcing argument.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links final ideas; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects survival and divine leniency themes.
  19. vivet — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “shall live”; Notes: Future tense expresses Lot’s hope for continued life.
  20. anima — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “vivet”; Translation: “soul / life”; Notes: Metonymy for personal survival.
  21. mea — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “anima”; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses Lot’s personal plea for deliverance.

 

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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