Genesis 1:22

Posted on January 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 1:22 Benedixitque eis, dicens: Crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete aquas maris: avesque multiplicentur super terram.

And He blessed them, saying: Grow, and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea, and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Benedixitque And He blessed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+ENCL
2 eis, them DAT.PL.PRON
3 dicens: saying PRES.PTCP.ACT.NOM.SG.M
4 Crescite, Grow 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
5 et and CONJ
6 multiplicamini, be multiplied 2PL.PRES.IMP.PASS
7 et and CONJ
8 replete fill 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
9 aquas waters ACC.PL.F
10 maris: of the sea GEN.SG.N
11 avesque and birds NOM.PL.F+ENCL
12 multiplicentur let be multiplied 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
13 super over PREP+ACC
14 terram. earth ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Speech Formula: Benedixitque eis, dicens — blessing expressed through command
Imperatives of Life Expansion:
• Crescite — growth
• multiplicamini — reproduction
• replete aquas maris — population of the seas
Subjunctive Clause of Result/Command:
• avesque multiplicentur super terram — avian multiplication over land

Morphology

  1. Benedixitque — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic -que; Form: Perfect active indicative, third person singular; Function: Main verbal action; Translation: “and He blessed”; Notes: -que links action to previous creation event.
  2. eis, — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative plural; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “them”; Notes: Punctuation preserved.
  3. dicens: — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Present active participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Marks speech content that follows.
  4. Crescite, — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, second person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “Grow”; Notes: Increase in number and size.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Function: Coordinates imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential commands.
  6. multiplicamini, — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present passive imperative, second person plural; Function: Command to reproduce; Translation: “be multiplied”; Notes: Divine empowerment implied.
  7. et — Coordinating conjunction linking additional command.
  8. replete — Lemma: repleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, second person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “fill”; Notes: Addresses aquatic life forms.
  9. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of replete; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Refers to seas generally.
  10. maris: — Lemma: mare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Specifies aquas; Translation: “of the sea”; Notes: Punctuation preserved.
  11. avesque — Lemma: avis + -que; Part of Speech: Noun with enclitic; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Subject of multiplicentur; Translation: “and birds”; Notes: Flying creatures collectively.
  12. multiplicentur — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present passive subjunctive, third person plural; Function: Jussive subjunctive expressing command or purpose; Translation: “let them be multiplied”; Notes: Parallels multiplicamini in previous clause.
  13. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governing the accusative; Function: Spatial expression; Translation: “over/above”; Notes: Domain of habitation.
  14. terram. — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Global terrestrial environment; punctuation preserved.

 

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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