Genesis 20:4

Posted on January 20, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 20:4 Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam, et ait: Domine, num gentem ignorantem et iustam interficies?

But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy a nation that is innocent and righteous?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Abimelech Abimelech NOM.SG.M.PROPN
2 vero but / indeed CONJ.ADV
3 non not ADV
4 tetigerat had touched 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
5 eam her ACC.SG.F.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Domine Lord VOC.SG.M
9 num surely not? INTERROG.PART
10 gentem a nation ACC.SG.F
11 ignorantem ignorant ACC.SG.F.PTCP
12 et and CONJ
13 iustam righteous ACC.SG.F.ADJ
14 interficies will you destroy 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND

Syntax

Clause 1: Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam — The pluperfect verb tetigerat (“had touched”) denotes completed non-action prior to divine confrontation. The adverb vero contrasts Abimelech’s innocence with the divine accusation. eam (“her”) is the direct object referring to Sara.
Clause 2: et ait: Domine, num gentem ignorantem et iustam interficies? — ait introduces Abimelech’s direct speech. The vocative Domine addresses God reverently. num signals a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, while gentem ignorantem et iustam forms a double-attribute object of interficies (“will you destroy?”).

Morphology

  1. Abimelech — Lemma: Abimelech; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “tetigerat” and “ait”; Translation: “Abimelech”; Notes: King of Gerar responding to divine warning.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: adverb/conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: contrasts or emphasizes truth; Translation: “but / indeed”; Notes: Highlights Abimelech’s innocence.
  3. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the action of “tetigerat.”
  4. tetigerat — Lemma: tango; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “had touched”; Notes: Denotes completed inaction prior to God’s warning.
  5. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “tetigerat”; Translation: “her”; Notes: Refers to Sara, affirming chastity.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Abimelech’s statement to preceding action.
  7. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: Common narrative verb for direct dialogue.
  8. Domine — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: vocative singular masculine; Function: direct address; Translation: “Lord”; Notes: Vocative used for divine address, referring to אדני (Adonai).
  9. num — Lemma: num; Part of Speech: interrogative particle; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces rhetorical question expecting “no”; Translation: “surely not?”; Notes: Expresses moral protest.
  10. gentem — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “interficies”; Translation: “a nation”; Notes: Refers to Abimelech’s people collectively.
  11. ignorantem — Lemma: ignoro; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle accusative singular feminine; Function: adjective modifying “gentem”; Translation: “ignorant”; Notes: Suggests unintentional wrongdoing.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects adjectives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins moral attributes.
  13. iustam — Lemma: iustus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “gentem”; Translation: “righteous”; Notes: Appeals to divine justice.
  14. interficies — Lemma: interficio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: future indicative active, second person singular; Function: main verb of the rhetorical question; Translation: “will you destroy”; Notes: Expresses fearful anticipation of 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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