Genesis 3:2

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:2 Cui respondit mulier: De fructu lignorum, quæ sunt in paradiso, vescimur:

And the woman answered him: “Of the fruit of the trees which are in the garden, we eat.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M/F.REL.PRON
2 respondit answered / replied 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
4 De of / from PREP+ABL
5 fructu fruit ABL.SG.M
6 lignorum of the trees GEN.PL.N
7 quæ which REL.PRON.NOM.PL.N
8 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 paradiso garden ABL.SG.M
11 vescimur we eat / we feed on 1PL.PRES.DEP.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Cui respondit mulier — “And the woman answered him.”
The dative relative pronoun Cui connects to the serpent in the previous verse, serving as indirect object of respondit.
Reported Speech: De fructu lignorum, quæ sunt in paradiso, vescimur — “Of the fruit of the trees which are in the garden, we eat.”
The prepositional phrase de fructu lignorum expresses the object of nourishment, while the relative clause quæ sunt in paradiso restricts it to the trees located in the garden.
The verb vescimur is deponent, middle in sense, and expresses habitual action.

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine or feminine; Function: Indirect object of respondit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers back to the serpent addressed by the woman.
  2. respondit — Lemma: respondeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “answered / replied”; Notes: Marks a direct response, continuing the dialogue begun by the serpent.
  3. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Eve is designated by her role, not yet by name.
  4. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Source or material; Translation: “of / from”; Notes: Introduces the object from which nourishment is derived.
  5. fructu — Lemma: fructus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “fruit”; Notes: Refers collectively to edible produce.
  6. lignorum — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural neuter; Function: Genitive of possession; Translation: “of the trees”; Notes: Specifies the fruit’s source within the garden.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural neuter; Function: Subject of sunt; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to the trees described in the relative clause.
  8. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd plural; Function: Copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Describes current location or state of the trees.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Locative; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates the spatial setting of the trees.
  10. paradiso — Lemma: paradisus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “garden”; Notes: Refers to the Garden of Delight (Paradise of God).
  11. vescimur — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Present deponent indicative 1st plural; Function: Main verb of clause; Translation: “we eat / we feed on”; Notes: Deponent verb functioning with active sense but passive form, expressing continuous nourishment from divine provision.

 

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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