Genesis 5:15

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:15 Vixit autem Malaleel sexaginta quinque annis, et genuit Iared.

And Malaleel lived sixty and five years, and he begot Jared.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however/and CONJ.ADV
3 Malaleel Malaleel PROPN.NOM.SG.M
4 sexaginta sixty NUM.INDECL
5 quinque five NUM.INDECL
6 annis years NOUN.ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Iared Jared PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The main clause Vixit autem Malaleel sexaginta quinque annis presents the duration of Malaleel’s life prior to fatherhood, with Malaleel as subject, vixit as the main verb, and sexaginta quinque annis functioning as an ablative of time how long (“for sixty-five years”).
The particle autem serves as a transitional connective meaning “and” or “however,” marking continuity within the genealogical account.
The second clause et genuit Iared follows the genealogical formula, where genuit acts as the main verb and Iared as the direct object (“he begot Iared”).

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: lived; Notes: indicates completed action of living up to the birth of Iared.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective particle indicating transition; Translation: however/and; Notes: frequently used to maintain narrative flow in genealogical lists.
  3. Malaleel — Lemma: Malaleel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vixit” and “genuit”; Translation: Malaleel; Notes: patriarchal figure descended from Cainan.
  4. sexaginta — Lemma: sexaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: sixty; Notes: expresses the first element of the compound number.
  5. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: five; Notes: completes the numerical expression sixty-five.
  6. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time how long; Translation: years; Notes: expresses the duration of Malaleel’s life before fathering Iared.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins the two main clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues genealogical narration.
  8. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: begot; Notes: standard verb for begetting in genealogical contexts.
  9. Iared — Lemma: Iared; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: Jared; Notes: son of Malaleel and next patriarch in the line of descent.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.