Genesis 19:32

Posted on January 19, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

32 Veni, inebriemus eum vino, dormiamusque cum eo, ut servare possimus ex patre nostro semen.

Come, let us make him drunk with wine, and let us lie with him, so that we may preserve offspring from our father.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Veni come 2SG.PRES.ACT.IMPER
2 inebriemus let us make drunk 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
4 vino with wine ABL.SG.N
5 dormiamusque and let us lie / sleep 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ + CONJ
6 cum with PREP+ABL
7 eo him ABL.SG.M.PRON
8 ut so that / in order that CONJ (FINAL)
9 servare to preserve / keep INF.PRES.ACT
10 possimus we may be able 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 ex from / out of PREP+ABL
12 patre father ABL.SG.M
13 nostro our ABL.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
14 semen seed / offspring ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Main Imperative: Veni, inebriemus eum vino — The imperative Veni (“come”) invites action; inebriemus (hortatory subjunctive) expresses a proposal of joint intent: “let us make him drunk.” The ablative vino indicates the instrument used.
Coordinated Clause: dormiamusque cum eo — A second hortatory subjunctive; cum + ablative marks accompaniment, here euphemistically expressing sexual intercourse.
Final Clause: ut servare possimus ex patre nostro semen — Introduced by ut (“so that”), expressing purpose. The infinitive servare is complementary to possimus. The prepositional phrase ex patre nostro shows source or origin, and semen serves as the object, meaning “offspring” or “descendants.”

Morphology

  1. Veni — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: second person singular present imperative active; Function: direct command; Translation: “come”; Notes: Urgent invitation from one sister to the other to act.
  2. inebriemus — Lemma: inebrio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present subjunctive active; Function: hortatory subjunctive expressing proposal; Translation: “let us make drunk”; Notes: Deponent of shared intent between the sisters.
  3. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “inebriemus”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to their father, Lot.
  4. vino — Lemma: vinum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: ablative of means; Translation: “with wine”; Notes: Instrumental ablative — the means by which intoxication occurs.
  5. dormiamusque — Lemma: dormio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present subjunctive active + enclitic -que; Function: second hortatory subjunctive; Translation: “and let us lie / sleep”; Notes: Euphemism for sexual relations; coordination with the preceding verb.
  6. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Introduces the partner in the act.
  7. eo — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: “him”; Notes: Again refers to Lot, their father.
  8. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that / in order that”; Notes: Marks intended outcome of their plan.
  9. servare — Lemma: servo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present infinitive active; Function: complementary infinitive with “possimus”; Translation: “to preserve”; Notes: Expresses desired result — preservation of lineage.
  10. possimus — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: first person plural present subjunctive active; Function: main verb of final clause; Translation: “we may be able”; Notes: Indicates capability and purpose together.
  11. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin or source; Translation: “from / out of”; Notes: Marks paternal source of offspring.
  12. patre — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “ex”; Translation: “father”; Notes: Identifies Lot as the biological source of offspring.
  13. nostro — Lemma: noster; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies “patre”; Translation: “our”; Notes: Emphasizes familial relation — a disturbing inversion of filial respect.
  14. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “servare possimus”; Translation: “seed / offspring”; Notes: Figuratively refers to progeny or lineage; expresses desire to preserve family continuation despite destruction around them.

 

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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