Genesis 4:3

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:3 Factum est autem post multos dies ut offerret Cain de fructibus terræ munera Domino.

And it came to pass after many days that Cain offered gifts to the LORD from the fruits of the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Factum it was done NOM.SG.N.PART.PERF.PASS
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 autem but / and it came to pass CONJ
4 post after PREP+ACC
5 multos many ACC.PL.M
6 dies days ACC.PL.M
7 ut that CONJ
8 offerret he might offer 3SG.IMPF.ACT.SUBJ
9 Cain Cain NOM.SG.M
10 de from PREP+ABL
11 fructibus fruits ABL.PL.M
12 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F
13 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
14 Domino to the LORD DAT.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Factum est autem post multos dies — impersonal periphrastic phrase meaning “and it came to pass after many days.” The subject is understood as an event or circumstance.
Subordinate Clause: ut offerret Cain de fructibus terræ munera Domino — a purpose/result clause dependent on Factum est. Cain serves as subject of offerret, munera as direct object, Domino as indirect object, and de fructibus terræ expresses source or material cause.
The structure captures the Hebrew idiom of narrative progression through impersonal periphrasis.

Morphology

  1. Factum — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative singular neuter; Function: Part of periphrastic expression with est; Translation: “it was done / it came to pass”; Notes: Serves idiomatically to introduce a narrative development.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: Auxiliary verb completing the periphrastic construction; Translation: “was”; Notes: Joins with Factum to express completion or occurrence.
  3. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Transitional connective; Translation: “and” or “but”; Notes: Commonly used to introduce narrative continuation.
  4. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs the accusative; Function: Indicates temporal sequence; Translation: “after”; Notes: Establishes a time frame for the event.
  5. multos — Lemma: multus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Modifies dies; Translation: “many”; Notes: Expresses duration or quantity of time.
  6. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Object of post; Translation: “days”; Notes: Marks elapsed time.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces a result or purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Governs the subjunctive verb offerret.
  8. offerret — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive, 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: “he might offer / offered”; Notes: Subjunctive mode expresses purpose within narrative.
  9. Cain — Lemma: Cain; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of offerret; Translation: “Cain”; Notes: The agent of the offering action.
  10. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks the origin of the gifts offered.
  11. fructibus — Lemma: fructus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “fruits”; Notes: Refers to produce of the earth, the offering’s source.
  12. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive/genitive of source; Translation: “of the ground / of the earth”; Notes: Specifies the origin of fructibus.
  13. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of offerret; Translation: “gifts / offerings”; Notes: Denotes what is presented to the deity.
  14. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of offerret; Translation: “to the LORD”; Notes: Represents YHWH as recipient of the offering.

 

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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