Genesis 5:24

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:24 Ambulavitque cum Deo, et non apparuit: quia tulit eum Deus.

And he walked with God, and he was not seen, because God took him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ambulavitque and he walked VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 cum with PREP+ABL
3 Deo God NOUN.ABL.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 non not ADV
6 apparuit appeared/was seen VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 quia because CONJ.SUBORD
8 tulit took VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
10 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

The first clause Ambulavitque cum Deo repeats the earlier expression of Enoch’s unique fellowship with God. The verb Ambulavit (perfect active indicative) with the enclitic -que (“and”) continues his spiritual walk. The prepositional phrase cum Deo (ablative of accompaniment) indicates close communion with the divine.
The clause et non apparuit means “and he was not seen” or “and he was no longer visible,” marking a sudden and mysterious disappearance.
The causal clause quia tulit eum Deus (“because God took him”) explains the reason for his disappearance — tulit (perfect active indicative of fero) denotes divine removal or translation, while Deus stands emphatically at the end as subject, underscoring God’s direct agency.

Morphology

  1. Ambulavitque — Lemma: ambulo + que; Part of Speech: Verb (with enclitic conjunction); Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and he walked; Notes: continues narrative from prior verse, showing habitual divine fellowship.
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces phrase of accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: marks Henoch’s association with God.
  3. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: God; Notes: emphasizes communion between human and divine.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins subsequent clause; Translation: and; Notes: continues narrative progression.
  5. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: intensifies mystery of Henoch’s disappearance.
  6. apparuit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: appeared/was seen; Notes: passive sense implied — “he was no longer visible.”
  7. quia — Lemma: quia; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces causal clause; Translation: because; Notes: explains disappearance as divine act.
  8. tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of causal clause; Translation: took; Notes: expresses divine translation, as in Hebrew laqach (“took”).
  9. eum — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “tulit”; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Henoch as the one taken by God.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “tulit”; Translation: God; Notes: emphatic final position highlights divine initiative and sovereignty in Henoch’s translation.

 

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.