Genesis 5:14

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:14 Et facti sunt omnes dies Cainan nongenti decem anni, et mortuus est.

And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 facti were made/became PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.M
3 sunt were VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.PASS
4 omnes all ADJ.NOM.PL.M
5 dies days NOUN.NOM.PL.M
6 Cainan of Cainan PROPN.GEN.SG.M
7 nongenti nine hundred NUM.NOM.PL.M
8 decem ten NUM.INDECL
9 anni years NOUN.NOM.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 mortuus died PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M
12 est was VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.DEP

Syntax

The verse follows the recurring genealogical pattern: Et facti sunt omnes dies Cainan introduces the total span of Cainan’s life using a perfect passive construction (“and all the days of Cainan were”). The subject dies is qualified by omnes, with Cainan in the genitive indicating possession.
The predicate complement nongenti decem anni is an appositive phrase that specifies the total length of his life — “nine hundred and ten years.”
The closing clause et mortuus est provides the conclusion, using the deponent perfect form mortuus est (“and he died”), which marks the end of his genealogical record.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links this record to the preceding verse; Translation: and; Notes: marks continuation in the genealogical sequence.
  2. facti — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: part of the compound verb “facti sunt”; Translation: were made/became; Notes: agrees with “dies” (subject).
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: were; Notes: completes the periphrastic predicate “facti sunt.”
  4. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies “dies”; Translation: all; Notes: expresses totality of lifespan.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “facti sunt”; Translation: days; Notes: denotes entire duration of life.
  6. Cainan — Lemma: Cainan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “dies”; Translation: of Cainan; Notes: specifies whose life span is described.
  7. nongenti — Lemma: nongenti; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies “anni”; Translation: nine hundred; Notes: first part of the compound numeral.
  8. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “anni”; Translation: ten; Notes: completes the total duration count.
  9. anni — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: in apposition to “dies Cainan”; Translation: years; Notes: expresses the total measure of lifespan.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: connects final clause; Translation: and; Notes: marks transition to concluding action.
  11. mortuus — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of periphrastic construction “mortuus est”; Translation: died; Notes: conveys completion of life.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary forming perfect deponent; Translation: was; Notes: used idiomatically with “mortuus” to mean “he died.”

 

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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