Genesis 1:2

Posted on January 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 1:2 Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebræ erant super faciem abyssi: et Spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.

And the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was being carried over the waters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Terra earth NOM.SG.F
2 autem but CONJ
3 erat was 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
4 inanis formless NOM.SG.F.ADJ
5 et and CONJ
6 vacua empty NOM.SG.F.ADJ
7 et and CONJ
8 tenebræ darkness NOM.PL.F
9 erant were 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND
10 super over PREP+ACC
11 faciem face ACC.SG.F
12 abyssi of the deep GEN.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 Spiritus Spirit NOM.SG.M
15 Dei of God GEN.SG.M
16 ferebatur was being carried 3SG.IMPERF.PASS.IND
17 super over PREP+ACC
18 aquas waters ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Terra (Subject) + erat (Verb)
Predicate: inanis, vacua — predicate adjectives modifying “earth”

Main Clause 2: tenebræ (Subject) + erant (Verb)
Phrase: super faciem abyssi — spatial prepositional phrase

Clause 3: Spiritus Dei ferebatur — passive verbal construction functioning as independent statement
Phrase: super aquas — spatial prepositional phrase

Morphology

  1. Terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: NOM.SG.F; Function: Subject; Translation: “earth”; Notes: feminine first-declension noun.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating particle; Function: discourse connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: introduces contrast.
  3. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND; Function: Verb of main clause; Translation: “was”; Notes: describes a continuing state.
  4. inanis — Lemma: inanis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: NOM.SG.F; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “formless”; Notes: modifies Terra.
  5. vacua — Lemma: vacuus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: NOM.SG.F; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “empty”; Notes: paired with inanis.
  6. tenebræ — Lemma: tenebrae; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: NOM.PL.F; Function: Subject; Translation: “darkness”; Notes: plural form with singular meaning.
  7. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND; Function: Verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: imperfect showing continuous state.
  8. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: PREP+ACC; Function: Spatial marker; Translation: “over”; Notes: governs faceiem.
  9. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ACC.SG.F; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “face”; Notes: poetic anthropomorphism.
  10. abyssi — Lemma: abyssus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: GEN.SG.F; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of the deep”; Notes: deep waters symbolizing chaos.
  11. Spiritus — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: NOM.SG.M; Function: Subject; Translation: “Spirit”; Notes: divine agency.
  12. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: GEN.SG.M; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of God”; Notes: specifies Spirit’s identity.
  13. ferebatur — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3SG.IMPERF.PASS.IND; Function: Verb; Translation: “was being carried”; Notes: denotes gentle motion.
  14. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ACC.PL.F; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “waters”; Notes: symbolizes primordial oceans.

 

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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