Genesis 2:15

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:15 Tulit ergo Dominus Deus hominem, et posuit eum in paradiso voluptatis, ut operaretur, et custodiret illum:

Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of delight, to work it and to keep it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Tulit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 ergo then / therefore CONJ
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 hominem man ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 posuit placed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
9 in in / within PREP+ABL
10 paradiso garden ABL.SG.M
11 voluptatis of delight GEN.SG.F
12 ut that / in order that CONJ
13 operaretur he might work 3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.DEP
14 et and CONJ
15 custodiret he might keep / guard 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
16 illum it ACC.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Tulit ergo Dominus Deus hominem — “Then the LORD God took the man.”
Subject: Dominus Deus — the LORD God, divine actor.
Object: hominem — “the man.”
Verb: Tulit — “took,” main verb expressing divine initiative.
Coordinated Clause: et posuit eum in paradiso voluptatis — “and placed him in the garden of delight.”
Purpose Clause: ut operaretur et custodiret illum — “that he might work it and keep it.” The conjunction ut introduces the subjunctive purpose verbs operaretur and custodiret, expressing function and responsibility.

Morphology

  1. Tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “took”; Notes: Describes completed divine action of relocation.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional marker; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Introduces consequence or narrative continuation.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, rendered as “LORD” to signify the divine covenant name.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Specifies the divine identity of YHWH.
  5. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of Tulit; Translation: “man”; Notes: Refers to the first human created by God.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links two main verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Combines divine actions sequentially.
  7. posuit — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “placed”; Notes: Indicates completed action of positioning man in Paradise.
  8. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of posuit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to hominem previously mentioned.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in / within”; Notes: Expresses placement within Paradise.
  10. paradiso — Lemma: paradisus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “garden”; Notes: Refers to the Garden of Eden.
  11. voluptatis — Lemma: voluptas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Genitive of description; Translation: “of delight”; Notes: Describes the pleasant nature of the garden.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: —; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Governs verbs in the subjunctive mood expressing divine intention.
  13. operaretur — Lemma: operor; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: Imperfect subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he might work”; Notes: Deponent with active meaning, expressing labor or cultivation.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links the two verbs in purpose clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Indicates dual divine assignment.
  15. custodiret — Lemma: custodio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he might keep / guard”; Notes: Suggests stewardship and protective responsibility.
  16. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of custodiret; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to paradiso, i.e., the garden entrusted to man’s care.

 

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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