Genesis 4:6

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:6 Dixitque Dominus ad eum: Quare iratus es? et cur concidit facies tua?

And the LORD said to him: “Why are you angry? and why has your face fallen?

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC.CONJ
2 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
3 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
4 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
5 Quare why ADV.INTERROG
6 iratus angry NOM.SG.M.PPP
7 es are 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND
8 et and CONJ
9 cur why ADV.INTERROG
10 concidit has fallen 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 facies face NOM.SG.F
12 tua your NOM.SG.F.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Dominus ad eum — the subject Dominus with verb dixit introduces direct speech through ad eum (“to him”), identifying Cain as the addressee.
First Question: Quare iratus es? — interrogative adverb Quare + predicate iratus + copula es; the question challenges the cause of anger.
Second Question: et cur concidit facies tua? — parallel structure, cur as interrogative, facies tua as subject phrase, concidit as main verb; the question deepens the psychological examination of Cain’s reaction.

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + que; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb introducing direct discourse; Translation: “and said”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this clause to the preceding narrative.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as speaker addressing Cain.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Commonly introduces speech recipients in biblical Latin.
  4. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Cain as the recipient of divine speech.
  5. Quare — Lemma: quare; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Interrogative; Function: Introduces a question of cause; Translation: “why”; Notes: Literally “for what reason.”
  6. iratus — Lemma: irascor; Part of Speech: Participle (from deponent verb); Form: Perfect participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective with es; Translation: “angry”; Notes: Describes Cain’s emotional state.
  7. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links predicate adjective iratus with implied subject “you.”
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links coordinate questions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two interrogatives of parallel form.
  9. cur — Lemma: cur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Interrogative; Function: Introduces question of motive or reason; Translation: “why”; Notes: Synonymous with quare but often more concise.
  10. concidit — Lemma: concido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second interrogative clause; Translation: “has fallen / is cast down”; Notes: Figurative for dejection of appearance.
  11. facies — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of concidit; Translation: “face”; Notes: Represents visible emotion and countenance.
  12. tua — Lemma: tuus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies facies; Translation: “your”; Notes: Reflects Cain’s personal emotional state.

 

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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