Genesis 23:20

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 23:20 Et confirmatus est ager, et antrum, quod erat in eo, Abrahæ in possessionem monumenti a filiis Heth.

And the field was confirmed, and the cave that was in it, to Abraham as a possession for a burial place, from the sons of Heth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 confirmatus was confirmed PERF.PASS.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
3 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
4 ager field NOM.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 antrum cave NOM.SG.N
7 quod which REL.PRON.NOM.SG.N
8 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 eo in it PRON.ABL.SG.M
11 Abrahæ to Abraham DAT.SG.M (INDECL. NAME)
12 in into / as PREP+ACC
13 possessionem possession ACC.SG.F
14 monumenti of a burial place GEN.SG.N
15 a from / by PREP+ABL
16 filiis sons ABL.PL.M
17 Heth of Heth GEN.SG.M (INDECL. NAME)

Syntax

Main Clause: Et confirmatus est ager — perfect passive verb marks the formal legal ratification of ownership: “And the field was confirmed.”
Coordinate Phrase: et antrum, quod erat in eo — adds the cave included in the deed; quod erat in eo is a relative clause specifying its location (“which was in it”).
Dative of Recipient: Abrahæ — shows the property was transferred “to Abraham.”
Prepositional Phrase: in possessionem monumenti — legal purpose clause meaning “as a possession for a burial place.”
Agent Phrase: a filiis Heth — ablative of agent, indicating that the transfer was enacted “by the sons of Heth.”
Overall Syntax: The sentence is a concise legal summary of the purchase: the field and cave were officially recognized as Abraham’s hereditary property for burial, witnessed by the Hittites.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links to the previous legal statement in the narrative.
  2. confirmatus — Lemma: confirmo; Part of Speech: participle (verb); Form: perfect passive participle nominative masculine singular; Function: predicate with est; Translation: “was confirmed”; Notes: Legal term of ratification or validation of ownership.
  3. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: auxiliary verb; Form: present indicative active third person singular; Function: auxiliary to form perfect passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Forms the perfect passive construction.
  4. ager — Lemma: ager; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject of confirmatus est; Translation: “field”; Notes: The property transferred to Abraham.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates the next object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the second part of the property (the cave).
  6. antrum — Lemma: antrum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: “cave”; Notes: Refers to the burial cave within the field.
  7. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: nominative neuter singular; Function: subject of erat; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to antrum.
  8. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: imperfect indicative active third person singular; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: Descriptive, indicating location.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces location phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial use.
  10. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: ablative masculine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to ager.
  11. Abrahæ — Lemma: Abraham; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: dative masculine singular (indeclinable); Function: indirect object; Translation: “to Abraham”; Notes: Marks recipient of ownership transfer.
  12. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses purpose; Translation: “as / into”; Notes: Indicates the result or function of the transfer.
  13. possessionem — Lemma: possessio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative feminine singular; Function: object of in; Translation: “possession”; Notes: Legal term for ownership under permanent title.
  14. monumenti — Lemma: monumentum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: genitive neuter singular; Function: genitive of purpose; Translation: “of a burial place”; Notes: Indicates the function of the possession (a family tomb).
  15. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: marks agent; Translation: “from / by”; Notes: Introduces the transferring party.
  16. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: object of a; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Denotes the Hittite community acting as witnesses and sellers.
  17. Heth — Lemma: Heth; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: genitive masculine singular (indeclinable); Function: dependent genitive with filiis; Translation: “of Heth”; Notes: Identifies the ethnic group (Hittites) as the legal grantors.

 

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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