Genesis 21:31

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 21:31 Idcirco vocatus est locus ille Bersabee: quia ibi uterque iuravit.

Therefore that place was called Bersabee, because there both of them swore an oath.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Idcirco therefore ADV
2 vocatus was called NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART
3 est was 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
4 locus place NOM.SG.M
5 ille that NOM.SG.M.DEM.ADJ
6 Bersabee Beersheba NOM.SG.F.PROP.NOUN
7 quia because CONJ
8 ibi there ADV
9 uterque both NOM.SG.M.DIST.PRON
10 iuravit swore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Idcirco vocatus est locus ille Bersabee — The adverb Idcirco introduces a causal link (“therefore”). The passive periphrastic vocatus est functions as a simple passive meaning “was called.” Subject locus ille is further specified by the predicate nominative Bersabee, the proper name assigned to the site.
Subordinate Clause: quia ibi uterque iuravit — A causal clause explaining the naming: “because there both of them swore.” The adverb ibi locates the event, and uterque functions as a distributive pronoun meaning “each of the two,” referring to Abraham and Abimelech.

Morphology

  1. Idcirco — Lemma: idcirco; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb of cause; Function: introduces result or inference; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Used to indicate logical consequence, linking cause (the oath) and effect (the naming).
  2. vocatus — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate complement in passive periphrasis; Translation: “called”; Notes: Indicates completed passive action—name was given by others.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active, third person singular; Function: auxiliary with participle forming passive construction; Translation: “was”; Notes: Serves as perfect auxiliary for passive voice (“was called”).
  4. locus — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vocatus est”; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the geographical site later known as Beersheba.
  5. ille — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: demonstrative adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: modifies “locus”; Translation: “that”; Notes: Demonstrative reinforces identification of a specific, previously mentioned place.
  6. Bersabee — Lemma: Bersabee; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate nominative naming the place; Translation: “Beersheba”; Notes: Hebrew name meaning “Well of the Oath,” commemorating the sworn covenant.
  7. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: subordinating (causal); Function: introduces reason clause; Translation: “because”; Notes: Establishes the cause for the naming—Abraham and Abimelech’s oath.
  8. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: adverb of place; Function: indicates location of the event; Translation: “there”; Notes: Locative adverb anchoring the event to the place Beersheba.
  9. uterque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: distributive pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine (used collectively for two); Function: subject of “iuravit”; Translation: “both (of them)”; Notes: Singular in form but plural in meaning; refers to the two covenant parties equally engaged in the oath.
  10. iuravit — Lemma: iuro; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active, third person singular; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “swore”; Notes: Perfect tense denotes completed covenant act of mutual oath-taking that gives the place its name.

 

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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