Genesis 21:15

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:15 Cumque consumpta esset aqua in utre, abiecit puerum subter unam arborum, quæ ibi erant.

And when the water in the skin was exhausted, she cast the boy under one of the trees that were there.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ + ENCLITIC -QUE
2 consumpta was exhausted NOM.SG.F.PERF.PASS.PART
3 esset was 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
4 aqua water NOM.SG.F
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 utre skin / waterskin ABL.SG.M
7 abiecit cast / threw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 puerum boy ACC.SG.M
9 subter under / beneath PREP+ACC
10 unam one ACC.SG.F.NUM.ADJ
11 arborum trees GEN.PL.F
12 quæ which NOM.PL.F.REL.PRON
13 ibi there ADV
14 erant were 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque consumpta esset aqua in utre — Introduced by Cumque, this clause describes the condition prompting Hagar’s desperate act. The verb esset in the pluperfect subjunctive indicates a prior completed state (“when the water had been exhausted”).
Main Clause: abiecit puerum subter unam arborum — The verb abiecit governs both the direct object puerum and the prepositional phrase subter unam arborum. It conveys both physical and emotional exhaustion.
Relative Clause: quæ ibi erant — Describes the trees present in the scene, specifying location and realism in the narrative setting.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: conjunction + enclitic; Form: subordinating + -que; Function: introduces temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: The enclitic -que links this clause tightly to the previous sentence, continuing the narrative sequence.
  2. consumpta — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular feminine, perfect passive; Function: predicate participle modifying “aqua”; Translation: “was exhausted”; Notes: Expresses complete depletion of water, setting up the crisis.
  3. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: pluperfect subjunctive active, third person singular; Function: auxiliary verb in periphrastic construction; Translation: “had been”; Notes: Used in the subjunctive due to the temporal cum-clause, indicating circumstance.
  4. aqua — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “consumpta esset”; Translation: “water”; Notes: Represents the essential provision now gone, symbolizing despair.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates containment within the water-skin.
  6. utre — Lemma: uter; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “waterskin”; Notes: Container for the depleted water, central to the scene’s physical realism.
  7. abiecit — Lemma: abicio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “cast”; Notes: Indicates an act of distress or helplessness rather than cruelty.
  8. puerum — Lemma: puer; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “abiecit”; Translation: “boy”; Notes: Refers to Ishmael, the son in peril of death.
  9. subter — Lemma: subter; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces location; Translation: “under”; Notes: Marks the physical place where Hagar leaves Ishmael, seeking shade.
  10. unam — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: numeral adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “arborum” (partitively understood); Translation: “one”; Notes: Indicates a single tree among several—emphasizing isolation.
  11. arborum — Lemma: arbor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: “of the trees”; Notes: Specifies the type of vegetation offering minimal shelter in the desert.
  12. quæ — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “erant”; Translation: “which”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause modifying “arborum.”
  13. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: locative modifier of “erant”; Translation: “there”; Notes: Specifies the setting—localizing the scene in Beersheba’s wilderness.
  14. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active, third person plural; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “were”; Notes: Describes static background detail, giving natural realism to the desert scene.

 

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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