Genesis 3:18

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:18 Spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi, et comedes herbam terræ.

“Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you, and you shall eat the herb of the earth.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Spinas thorns ACC.PL.F
2 et and CONJ
3 tribulos thistles ACC.PL.M
4 germinabit it shall bring forth 3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 tibi to you DAT.SG.2P.PRON
6 et and CONJ
7 comed es you shall eat 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 herbam herb / plant ACC.SG.F
9 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi — “Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you.”
The subject is implicit (terra “earth”) from the preceding verse. The verb germinabit is in the future tense, expressing the ongoing natural consequence of the curse. The indirect object tibi identifies Adam as the sufferer of this hardship.

Main Clause 2: et comedes herbam terræ — “and you shall eat the herb of the earth.”
The conjunction et coordinates this as a secondary consequence. The direct object herbam specifies the humble food source that will sustain man post-curse, contrasting with the abundance of Eden.

Morphology

  1. Spinas — Lemma: spina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of germinabit; Translation: “thorns”; Notes: Symbolic of hardship and futility in cultivation.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the two nouns under the same predicate.
  3. tribulos — Lemma: tribulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object (paired with spinas); Translation: “thistles”; Notes: A plant associated with barren, unfruitful soil.
  4. germinabit — Lemma: germino; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “it shall bring forth”; Notes: Subject implied as terra (“earth”), continuing from previous verse.
  5. tibi — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to you”; Notes: Indicates the one for whose burden the curse applies.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the following statement to the previous result.
  7. comed es — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative 2nd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall eat”; Notes: Predicts man’s continued labor for sustenance.
  8. herbam — Lemma: herba; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of comed es; Translation: “herb / plant”; Notes: Refers to edible vegetation, symbolizing humble survival.
  9. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Genitive of source or relation; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Identifies the soil as the source of man’s food and toil.

 

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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