Genesis 3:11

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:11 Cui dixit: Quis enim indicavit tibi quod nudus esses, nisi quod ex ligno de quo præceperam tibi ne comederes, comedisti?

And He said to him: “Who then told you that you were naked, unless it was that you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cui to whom DAT.SG.M.REL.PRON
2 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Quis who NOM.SG.M.INTERROG.PRON
4 enim for / indeed ADV
5 indicavit told / informed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 tibi to you DAT.SG.M.PRON
7 quod that CONJ
8 nudus naked NOM.SG.M.ADJ
9 esses you were 2SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
10 nisi unless / except CONJ
11 quod that / because CONJ
12 ex from / out of PREP+ABL
13 ligno tree ABL.SG.N
14 de from / concerning PREP+ABL
15 quo which ABL.SG.N.REL.PRON
16 præceperam I had commanded 1SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
17 tibi to you DAT.SG.M.PRON
18 ne that not / lest NEG.CONJ
19 comederes you should eat 2SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
20 comedisti you have eaten 2SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Cui dixit — “And He said to him.” The dative cui identifies the addressee, Adam, linking to the previous verse.
Direct Question: Quis enim indicavit tibi quod nudus esses — “Who then told you that you were naked?” The subjunctive esses expresses reported perception (“that you were”).
Conditional Exception Clause: nisi quod ex ligno de quo præceperam tibi ne comederes, comedisti — “unless it was that you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat.”
Here nisi quod introduces an exceptive clause; de quo is a relative phrase specifying the prohibited tree; ne comederes is a negative purpose clause (prohibition).

Morphology

  1. Cui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of dixit; Translation: “to whom”; Notes: Refers to Adam as the recipient of divine speech.
  2. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Expresses direct divine address following Adam’s confession.
  3. Quis — Lemma: quis, quid; Part of Speech: Interrogative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of indicavit; Translation: “who”; Notes: Opens a rhetorical question exposing guilt.
  4. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Emphasizer; Translation: “for / indeed”; Notes: Strengthens the rhetorical tone of divine interrogation.
  5. indicavit — Lemma: indico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb of question; Translation: “told”; Notes: Implies revelation of a hidden truth or fact.
  6. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object of indicavit; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers to Adam as recipient of revelation.
  7. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces content clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Connects indicavit with esses.
  8. nudus — Lemma: nudus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “naked”; Notes: Describes Adam’s new self-awareness post-sin.
  9. esses — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive 2nd singular; Function: Verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “you were”; Notes: Subjunctive used in indirect speech.
  10. nisi — Lemma: nisi; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces exception clause; Translation: “unless / except”; Notes: Sets up hypothetical explanation for Adam’s awareness.
  11. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces subordinate content clause; Translation: “that / because”; Notes: Here, “that” explains the cause (he ate).
  12. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates material source (tree).
  13. ligno — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of ex; Translation: “tree”; Notes: Refers to the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
  14. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Reference; Translation: “of / about”; Notes: Introduces the relative clause “de quo.”
  15. quo — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of de; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers back to ligno.
  16. præceperam — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active indicative 1st singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “I had commanded”; Notes: Expresses prior divine prohibition.
  17. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object of præceperam; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Refers again to Adam as recipient of command.
  18. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Negative particle; Function: Introduces negative purpose / prohibition clause; Translation: “that not / lest”; Notes: Marks prohibition of eating.
  19. comederes — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive 2nd singular; Function: Verb of prohibited act; Translation: “you should eat”; Notes: Subjunctive due to ne clause of prohibition.
  20. comedisti — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 2nd singular; Function: Main verb of exceptive clause; Translation: “you have eaten”; Notes: Indicates completed disobedience to divine command.

 

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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