Genesis 19:28

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:28 intuitus est Sodomam et Gomorrham, et universam terram regionis illius: viditque ascendentem favillam de terra quasi fornacis fumum.

he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrha, and all the land of that region; and he saw the smoke rising from the earth like the smoke of a furnace.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 intuitus looked toward PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
2 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
3 Sodomam Sodom ACC.SG.F.PROPN
4 et and CONJ
5 Gomorrham Gomorrah ACC.SG.F.PROPN
6 et and CONJ
7 universam all / entire ACC.SG.F.ADJ
8 terram land / earth ACC.SG.F
9 regionis of the region GEN.SG.F
10 illius of that GEN.SG.F.DEMONSTR.PRON
11 viditque and he saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
12 ascendentem rising PRES.ACT.PTCP.ACC.SG.F
13 favillam smoke / ashes ACC.SG.F
14 de from PREP+ABL
15 terra earth / land ABL.SG.F
16 quasi as / like ADV (comparative)
17 fornacis of a furnace GEN.SG.F
18 fumum smoke ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: intuitus est Sodomam et Gomorrham — The perfect passive participle intuitus est forms a deponent construction meaning “he looked.” The direct objects Sodomam et Gomorrham identify the destroyed cities under Abraham’s observation.
Expansion: et universam terram regionis illius — Adds a broader view, extending Abraham’s gaze to the entire surrounding plain.
Coordinated Clause: viditque ascendentem favillam de terra — A new action introduced by -que (“and”): Abraham “saw” the smoke rising. The participle ascendentem modifies favillam.
Simile: quasi fornacis fumum — Comparative phrase introduced by quasi (“like”), illustrating the intensity of the destruction — the land’s smoke is likened to that of a furnace.

Morphology

  1. intuitus — Lemma: intueor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: perfect participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: main verb in deponent periphrasis; Translation: “looked toward”; Notes: Deponent participle functions actively — Abraham surveys the plain in solemn observation.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active, third person singular; Function: completes deponent perfect; Translation: “was / has”; Notes: Forms perfect tense with participle “intuitus.”
  3. Sodomam — Lemma: Sodoma; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “intuitus est”; Translation: “Sodom”; Notes: First of the condemned cities seen by Abraham.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the paired objects in Abraham’s sight.
  5. Gomorrham — Lemma: Gomorrha; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: second object of “intuitus est”; Translation: “Gomorrah”; Notes: Companion city in divine judgment.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: continues object series; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds a third focus to Abraham’s vision.
  7. universam — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “terram”; Translation: “all / entire”; Notes: Emphasizes total devastation of the region.
  8. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “intuitus est”; Translation: “land / earth”; Notes: Refers to the entire plain (Hebrew: הַכִּכָּר, *ha-kikkar*).
  9. regionis — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: “of the region”; Notes: Defines the geographic boundary — the Jordan plain.
  10. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “regionis”; Translation: “of that”; Notes: Deictic, pointing to the region previously referenced.
  11. viditque — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: introduces new main clause; Translation: “and he saw”; Notes: Sequential action following “intuitus est.”
  12. ascendentem — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle, accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “favillam”; Translation: “rising”; Notes: Describes continuous ascent of smoke — a sign of ongoing destruction.
  13. favillam — Lemma: favilla; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “vidit”; Translation: “smoke / ashes”; Notes: Denotes burning residue; imagery of divine wrath realized.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the rising smoke — the land itself.
  15. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: “earth / land”; Notes: Suggests the destruction has penetrated the very soil.
  16. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: adverb (comparative); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces simile; Translation: “like / as if”; Notes: Establishes visual comparison to a furnace.
  17. fornacis — Lemma: fornax; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of comparison; Translation: “of a furnace”; Notes: Indicates heat and smoke intensity akin to molten fire.
  18. fumum — Lemma: fumus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: appositive to “favillam”; Translation: “smoke”; Notes: Emphasizes the heavy, visible evidence of divine destruction.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.