Genesis 2:25

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:25 Erat autem uterque nudus, Adam scilicet et uxor eius: et non erubescebant.

Now they were both naked, Adam indeed and his wife; and they were not ashamed.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erat was / were 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
2 autem now / moreover CONJ
3 uterque each / both NOM.SG.M.PRON
4 nudus naked NOM.SG.M.ADJ
5 Adam Adam NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
6 scilicet that is to say / indeed ADV
7 et and CONJ
8 uxor wife NOM.SG.F
9 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON
10 et and CONJ
11 non not ADV
12 erubescebant were ashamed 3PL.IMPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Erat autem uterque nudus — “Now they were both naked.”
The singular verb erat agrees with the distributive pronoun uterque (“each of the two”), treating the pair as a collective unity.
Apposition: Adam scilicet et uxor eius — “Adam indeed and his wife,” provides clarification, identifying the referents of uterque.
Coordinated Clause: et non erubescebant — “and they were not ashamed.”
Imperfect tense (erubescebant) portrays continuous state prior to the Fall: innocence without self-consciousness.

Morphology

  1. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was / were”; Notes: Singular by attraction to uterque, referring collectively to both.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional; Translation: “now / moreover”; Notes: Introduces a narrative contrast or continuation.
  3. uterque — Lemma: uterque; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “both / each of the two”; Notes: Singular form with dual sense, often with singular verb agreement.
  4. nudus — Lemma: nudus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “naked”; Notes: Describes natural innocence, without shame or guilt.
  5. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Appositive to uterque; Translation: “Adam”; Notes: Clarifies one of the two subjects.
  6. scilicet — Lemma: scilicet; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Clarifying marker; Translation: “that is to say / indeed”; Notes: Introduces explanatory apposition.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinating; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two members of the pair.
  8. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Appositive to uterque; Translation: “wife”; Notes: Complements Adam as the second subject of reference.
  9. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Adam; establishes marital possession and unity.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links state of nudity with lack of shame.
  11. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates verb expressing emotional reaction.
  12. erubescebant — Lemma: erubesco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “were ashamed”; Notes: Imperfect tense denotes continuing state of innocence without awareness of shame.

 

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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