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Homo Sum — Complete
Homo Sum — Complete

Chapter XVIII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.
Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.
When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.
And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.
"God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Homo Sum — Complete

Chapter XVIII

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.
Line 2
Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.
Line 3
When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.
Line 4
And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.
Line 5
"God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.”

Disgrace noun US /dɪsˈɡreɪs/

shame caused by unacceptable behaviour

From this reading “When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.”

Fair noun US /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.”

Feeling noun US /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.”

Muttered verb US /ˈmʌtərd/

spoke in a low voice that was difficult to hear

From this reading “"God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.”

Running noun US /ˈrunning/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.”

Taste verb US /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading “Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.”

All words in this reading · 96

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

acute

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

anguish

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

blow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

close

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

Common

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

cup

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

deed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

depth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

despairs

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

disgracenounUS /dɪsˈɡreɪs/

shame caused by unacceptable behaviour

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

experienced

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

fairnounUS /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

falls

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

felt

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

footsteps

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

goal

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

God

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

grovels

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

hard

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

heavily

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

Hermas

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

immeasurable

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

lay

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

lightly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

like

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

more

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

mutteredverbUS /ˈmʌtərd/

spoke in a low voice that was difficult to hear

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

natures

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

now

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

only

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

Paulus

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

power

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

prize

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

punishment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

purifying

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

remorse

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

runningnounUS /ˈrunning/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

sand

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

Saviour

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

sees

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

sin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

sleeping

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

soul

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

stone

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

stones

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

striven

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

stumbles

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

suffering

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

surely

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

taken

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

tortured

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

touched

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

treading

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

vain

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he had taken Hermas' sin and punishment and disgrace upon himself, it had seemed to him that he was treading in the very footsteps of the Saviour.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading And now?--He felt like one who, while running for a prize, stumbles over a stone and grovels in the sand when he is already close to the goal.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "God sees the will and not the deed," he muttered to himself.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.

woman

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Paulus thought no more of the fair, sleeping woman; tortured by acute remorse he lay on the hard stones, feeling that he had striven in vain.

work

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Common natures can only be lightly touched by the immeasurable depth of anguish that is experienced by a soul that despairs of itself; but the more heavily the blow of such suffering falls, the more surely does it work with purifying power on him who has to taste of that cup.