Genesis 19:25

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:25 et subvertit civitates has, et omnem circa regionem, universos habitatores urbium, et cuncta terræ virentia.

And He overthrew these cities, and all the surrounding region, all the inhabitants of the cities, and everything green of the land.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 subvertit overthrew 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 civitates cities ACC.PL.F
4 has these ACC.PL.F.DEMONSTR.ADJ
5 et and CONJ
6 omnem all / every ACC.SG.F.ADJ
7 circa around / surrounding PREP+ACC
8 regionem region / area ACC.SG.F
9 universos all / every ACC.PL.M.ADJ
10 habitatores inhabitants ACC.PL.M
11 urbium of the cities GEN.PL.F
12 et and CONJ
13 cuncta all things / everything ACC.PL.N
14 terræ of the land / earth GEN.SG.F
15 virentia green things / vegetation ACC.PL.N.PTCP

Syntax

Main Clause: et subvertit civitates has — The LORD (understood subject) is the actor, with subvertit as the main verb. The direct object civitates has identifies the destroyed cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim).
Coordinated Objects: et omnem circa regionem expands the destruction to the surrounding area, while universos habitatores urbium specifies the annihilation of the inhabitants.
Final Phrase: et cuncta terræ virentia — Refers to total devastation including vegetation, echoing the completeness of divine retribution, much like the Flood narrative.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects sequential clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Signals continuation of divine action from previous verse.
  2. subvertit — Lemma: subverto; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “overthrew”; Notes: Indicates a completed act of total destruction, often used in divine judgment contexts.
  3. civitates — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “subvertit”; Translation: “cities”; Notes: Refers to Sodom, Gomorrah, and neighboring towns of the plain.
  4. has — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: modifies “civitates”; Translation: “these”; Notes: Specifies the very cities previously mentioned by name.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins successive objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the enumeration of what was destroyed.
  6. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “regionem”; Translation: “all / every”; Notes: Expresses totality of the surrounding devastation.
  7. circa — Lemma: circa; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: denotes proximity or encircling area; Translation: “around / surrounding”; Notes: Indicates destruction extended beyond city limits.
  8. regionem — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “circa”; Translation: “region / area”; Notes: Refers to the fertile plain of the Jordan, now laid waste.
  9. universos — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies “habitatores”; Translation: “all”; Notes: Stresses completeness of divine judgment against the population.
  10. habitatores — Lemma: habitator; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object (continued); Translation: “inhabitants”; Notes: Refers to human victims of the cities’ destruction.
  11. urbium — Lemma: urbs; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the cities”; Notes: Specifies which inhabitants perished.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: adds final element; Translation: “and”; Notes: Concludes the catalogue of destroyed entities.
  13. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective (used substantively); Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object; Translation: “all things / everything”; Notes: Highlights comprehensive scope of devastation.
  14. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of source / possession; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Refers to the soil or ground surface consumed in the destruction.
  15. virentia — Lemma: vireo; Part of Speech: participle (used substantively); Form: accusative plural neuter, present active participle; Function: modifies “cuncta”; Translation: “green things / vegetation”; Notes: Indicates total eradication of life — even vegetation was consumed by fire, symbolizing complete divine 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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