Genesis 3:7

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:7 Et aperti sunt oculi amborum: cumque cognovissent se esse nudos, consuerunt folia ficus, et fecerunt sibi perizomata.

And the eyes of them both were opened; and when they knew that they were naked, they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 aperti opened NOM.PL.M.PERF.PTCP.PASS
3 sunt were 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
4 oculi eyes NOM.PL.M
5 amborum of both GEN.PL.M
6 cumque and when CONJ
7 cognovissent had known 3PL.PLUPERF.ACT.SUBJ
8 se themselves ACC.PL.REFL.PRON
9 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
10 nudos naked ACC.PL.M
11 consuerunt they sewed 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
12 folia leaves ACC.PL.N
13 ficus fig tree GEN.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 fecerunt they made 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
16 sibi for themselves DAT.PL.REFL.PRON
17 perizomata coverings / loincloths ACC.PL.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Et aperti sunt oculi amborum — “And the eyes of them both were opened.”
The passive verb phrase expresses the awakening of awareness; amborum (“of both”) emphasizes shared experience.
Temporal Clause: cumque cognovissent se esse nudos — “and when they knew that they were naked.”
The pluperfect subjunctive (cognovissent) situates recognition prior to their reaction; the infinitive esse functions as the object complement.
Coordinated Clauses: consuerunt folia ficus and fecerunt sibi perizomata — “they sewed fig leaves and made themselves coverings.”
Both perfect verbs describe immediate action taken to conceal shame.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links narrative events in sequence.
  2. aperti — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative plural masculine, perfect passive; Function: Predicate adjective with sunt; Translation: “opened”; Notes: Describes passive reception of new awareness.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present indicative active 3rd plural; Function: Auxiliary verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: Completes the passive periphrasis.
  4. oculi — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “eyes”; Notes: Figurative of moral and spiritual perception.
  5. amborum — Lemma: ambo; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “of both”; Notes: Refers to Adam and Eve collectively.
  6. cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal conjunction; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links temporal subclause with main clause.
  7. cognovissent — Lemma: cognosco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active subjunctive 3rd plural; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “had known”; Notes: Denotes completed recognition before subsequent action.
  8. se — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Accusative plural; Function: Object of esse; Translation: “themselves”; Notes: Reflects self-awareness newly acquired.
  9. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complement infinitive; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Forms indirect statement with cognovissent.
  10. nudos — Lemma: nudus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “naked”; Notes: Symbolizes loss of innocence and exposure.
  11. consuerunt — Lemma: consuo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they sewed”; Notes: Expresses effort to remedy shame.
  12. folia — Lemma: folium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “leaves”; Notes: Material used for clothing.
  13. ficus — Lemma: ficus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Genitive of source; Translation: “of fig tree”; Notes: Specifies type of leaves.
  14. fecerunt — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they made”; Notes: Parallel to consuerunt in describing response.
  15. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Dative plural; Function: Dative of advantage; Translation: “for themselves”; Notes: Marks self-directed action.
  16. perizomata — Lemma: perizoma (Greek loanword); Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of fecerunt; Translation: “coverings / loincloths”; Notes: Greek-derived term meaning waist garments for modesty.

 

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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