Judges. Ahoth et Eglon Rex.
Brief Comments on the Latin:
[Note: You will find other helpful information by looking at the segmented text, which shows clearly how the sentences and clauses are organized. You can also choose to have the verbs and/or bold speech highlighted, which often makes the Latin easier to understand.]
3:14. The name Israhel is in the genitive (filii Israhel, "the sons of Israel"). Like most foreign names , Eglon also does not decline: here it is in the dative, in apposition to regi. Moah is in the genitive (rex Moab, "the king of Moab").
3:15. The phrase vocabulo is like nomine, "by the name of." The names Gera and Iemini are both in the genitive, "Ehud (Ahoth), who was the son of Gera, who was the son of Iemini (or: Gera, a Ben-Jamite)." Ahoth is in the accusative, in apposition to filium. The antecedent of qui is Ahoth. Eglon is in the dative, in apposition to regi.
3:16. The antecedent of qui is illum (= Ehud). The participle habentem modifies gladium, and its object is capulum. The phrase longitudinis palmae manus is a genitive of description: a handle "as long as the palm of the hand."
3:17. In the first sentence, the name Eglon is in the dative, in apposition to regi. In the second sentence, Eglon is the subject of erat.
3:18. The deponent verb prosecutus est is transitive, and socios is its object.
3:19. The participle-verb construction, reversus dixit, can be translated as verb-verb: "he returned from Galgal and said..." The implied subject of habeo is an unspoken "something." The phrase egressis omnibus is an ablative absolute.
3:20. Latin often uses a relative pronoun, qui, to join together what would be two separate sentences in English: "(and) he ..."
3:22. The adverb valide goes with the verb of preceding verse, infixit. The deponent verb sequeretur is transitive, with ferrum as its object. Ferrum here means the shaft of the sword, as opposed to the capulus, handle. The phrase ita ut means "just as" and it does not introduce a subjunctive verb.
3:23. The phrase clausis ostiis... et obfirmatis is an ablative absolute, with two participles. The word sera is in the ablative (serâ). For the verb of which Ahoth is the subject, you need to proceed to the next verse. You can translate this construction as "Ahoth closed and shut..." (the absence of a past active participle in Latin means that the ablative absolute is often used in this way, when the logical subject of the verb is omitted from the ablative absolute phrase).
3:24. The participle-verb phrase ingressi viderunt can be translated as verb-verb, "they came in and saw."
3:25. The participle-verb phrase expectantes erubescerent can be translated as verb-verb, "they waited and became embarrassed." The use of quod to introduce indirect statement is non-classical. The participle-verb phrase videntes tulereunt can be translated as verb-verb, "they saw... and took." The participle-verb phrase aperientes invenerunt can be translated as verb-verb, "they opened [the doors] and found."
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