Genesis 20:10

Posted on January 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 20:10 Rursumque expostulans, ait: Quid vidisti, ut hoc faceres?

And again, remonstrating, he said: “What did you see, that you did this?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV+ENCLIT.CONJ
2 expostulans remonstrating PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M
3 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Quid what INTERROG.PRON.ACC.SG.N
5 vidisti did you see 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 ut that/so that CONJ
7 hoc this PRON.DEM.ACC.SG.N
8 faceres you did / you would do 2SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ

Syntax

Introductory Phrase: Rursumque expostulans — a circumstantial participial phrase meaning “and again, remonstrating,” with expostulans modifying the implied subject.
Main Clause: ait — “he said,” introducing direct discourse.
Interrogative Clause: Quid vidisti — “What did you see?” functioning as an indirect question of motive.
Final Clause: ut hoc faceres — “that you did this,” introduced by ut expressing result or purpose. The imperfect subjunctive faceres shows a perceived action following the observation implied in vidisti.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum + -que; Part of Speech: adverb with enclitic conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: temporal adverb joined to the narrative chain; Translation: “and again”; Notes: -que connects this action to the preceding conversation.
  2. Expostulans — Lemma: expostulō; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies the understood subject (Abimelech); Translation: “remonstrating / protesting”; Notes: Describes the emotional tone of Abimelech’s words.
  3. Ait — Lemma: aiō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, third person singular (defective verb); Function: main verb introducing speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common narrative verb of speaking.
  4. Quid — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: interrogative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of vidisti; Translation: “what”; Notes: Introduces the interrogative clause.
  5. Vidisti — Lemma: videō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect active indicative, second person singular; Function: main verb of interrogative clause; Translation: “did you see”; Notes: Indicates completed perception leading to subsequent action.
  6. Ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariant; Function: introduces result or purpose clause; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Subordinates hoc faceres to the perception implied in vidisti.
  7. Hoc — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of faceres; Translation: “this”; Notes: Refers to Abraham’s deceitful action.
  8. Faceres — Lemma: faciō; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect active subjunctive, second person singular; Function: verb in subordinate clause introduced by ut; Translation: “you did / you would do”; Notes: The imperfect subjunctive expresses a hypothetical or perceived motive connected with prior sight.

 

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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