Genesis 19:31

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 19:31 Dixitque maior ad minorem: Pater noster senex est, et nullus virorum remansit in terra qui possit ingredi ad nos iuxta morem universæ terræ.

And the elder said to the younger: “Our father is old, and there is not a man left on the earth who may come in to us according to the custom of all the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 maior the elder NOM.SG.F.COMP.ADJ (SUBST.)
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 minorem the younger ACC.SG.F.COMP.ADJ (SUBST.)
5 Pater father NOM.SG.M
6 noster our NOM.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
7 senex old / aged NOM.SG.M.ADJ
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 nullus no / none NOM.SG.M.ADJ
11 virorum of men GEN.PL.M
12 remansit has remained 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 in in / on PREP+ABL
14 terra earth / land ABL.SG.F
15 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
16 possit may be able 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
17 ingredi to enter / come in INF.PRES.DEP
18 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
19 nos us ACC.PL.PRON
20 iuxta according to PREP+ACC
21 morem custom / manner ACC.SG.M
22 universæ of the whole GEN.SG.F.ADJ
23 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque maior ad minorem — The perfect verb dixit introduces direct speech; the comparative adjectives maior and minorem function substantively (“the elder” and “the younger”).
Quoted Speech: Pater noster senex est — A simple equative clause: subject Pater, possessive adjective noster, and predicate senex est.
Coordinated Clause: et nullus virorum remansit in terra — Negated existential statement; nullus virorum (lit. “no one of men”) indicates absence of potential husbands.
Relative Clause: qui possit ingredi ad nos iuxta morem universæ terræ — Introduced by qui (“who”), subjunctive possit expresses potential ability. The infinitive ingredi (deponent) completes possit, while iuxta morem universæ terræ denotes conformity to normal marital practice.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular + enclitic -que; Function: introduces speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Marks transition into dialogue between Lot’s daughters.
  2. maior — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative used substantively); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “dixit”; Translation: “the elder”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s first-born daughter.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction of speech; Translation: “to”; Notes: Common after verbs of speaking.
  4. minorem — Lemma: parvus; Part of Speech: adjective (comparative used substantively); Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “the younger”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s younger daughter.
  5. Pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: “father”; Notes: Refers to Lot.
  6. noster — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “Pater”; Translation: “our”; Notes: Indicates shared family relationship.
  7. senex — Lemma: senex; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate complement; Translation: “old”; Notes: Used predicatively with “est.”
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, third person singular; Function: copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms a simple equative clause.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins two statements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects subsequent clause of absence.
  10. nullus — Lemma: nullus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject with “remansit”; Translation: “no / none”; Notes: Negates existence of any men.
  11. virorum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: partitive genitive with “nullus”; Translation: “of men”; Notes: Indicates class from which none remain.
  12. remansit — Lemma: remaneo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “has remained”; Notes: Refers to perceived total destruction of male population.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes place; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial marker of absence.
  14. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “earth / land”; Notes: Likely refers to the known world from the daughters’ perspective.
  15. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “possit”; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces relative clause describing potential suitor.
  16. possit — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present subjunctive active, third person singular; Function: expresses potential action; Translation: “may be able”; Notes: Subjunctive of capability or hypothetical action.
  17. ingredi — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: verb (deponent); Form: present infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive to “possit”; Translation: “to enter / come in”; Notes: Euphemistic for sexual relations.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates relational or physical approach.
  19. nos — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative plural; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: “us”; Notes: Refers to Lot’s daughters collectively.
  20. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces standard of comparison; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Indicates conformity to custom.
  21. morem — Lemma: mos; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “iuxta”; Translation: “custom / manner”; Notes: Cultural or societal norm concerning marriage.
  22. universæ — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “terræ”; Translation: “of the whole”; Notes: Global or universal scope — “of all the earth.”
  23. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: complement to “universæ”; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Expresses universal custom — marriage between men and women across the inhabited world.

 

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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