Genesis 7:4

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:4 Adhuc enim, et post dies septem ego pluam super terram quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus: et delebo omnem substantiam, quam feci, de superficie terræ.

For yet, after seven days, I will rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will destroy every substance that I have made from the surface of the earth.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Adhuc yet / still ADV.TEMPORAL
2 enim for / indeed ADV.CAUSAL
3 et and / also CONJ.ADDITIVE
4 post after PREP+ACC
5 dies days NOUN.ACC.PL.M
6 septem seven NUM.CARD.INDECL
7 ego I PRON.NOM.SG.1ST
8 pluam I will rain VERB.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
9 super upon / over PREP+ACC
10 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
11 quadraginta forty NUM.CARD.INDECL
12 diebus days NOUN.ABL.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 quadraginta forty NUM.CARD.INDECL
15 noctibus nights NOUN.ABL.PL.F
16 et and CONJ
17 delebo I will destroy VERB.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND
18 omnem every / all ADJ.ACC.SG.F
19 substantiam substance / being NOUN.ACC.SG.F
20 quam which / that PRON.REL.ACC.SG.F
21 feci I made VERB.1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
22 de from PREP+ABL
23 superficie surface / face NOUN.ABL.SG.F
24 terræ earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

The verse opens with Adhuc enim, a temporal and causal pair meaning “for yet” or “for still,” introducing divine foresight.
The phrase et post dies septem defines a short prophetic interval — “after seven days.” The preposition post governs the accusative plural dies with septem as its numeric modifier.
The independent clause ego pluam super terram marks divine action, with pluam (first person future active) asserting intention.
The double accusative phrase quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus denotes duration, establishing a symbolic forty-day cycle of testing and purification.
The coordinate clause et delebo omnem substantiam quam feci parallels pluam, now expressing destruction rather than preservation. The relative pronoun quam introduces a defining clause linked by feci (“I made”), emphasizing divine reversal of creation.
Finally, de superficie terræ (“from the surface of the earth”) forms a locative ablative of separation, indicating total eradication across the inhabited world.

Morphology

  1. Adhuc — Lemma: adhuc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal indicator; Translation: yet / still; Notes: introduces continuation of divine discourse.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: causal particle; Translation: for; Notes: emphasizes rationale for coming flood.
  3. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive connector; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates temporal phrase.
  4. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates sequence in time; Translation: after; Notes: precedes duration phrase.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of “post”; Translation: days; Notes: temporal measurement unit.
  6. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “dies”; Translation: seven; Notes: typological number symbolizing completeness.
  7. ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject; Translation: I; Notes: explicit divine self-reference.
  8. pluam — Lemma: pluo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb of declaration; Translation: I will rain; Notes: expresses future action ordained by God.
  9. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon / over; Notes: marks the object affected by rainfall.
  10. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: earth; Notes: locus of divine judgment.
  11. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial modifier; Translation: forty; Notes: expresses duration and symbolic purification.
  12. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: days; Notes: complements duration phrase.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects parallel expressions; Translation: and; Notes: symmetrical rhythm.
  14. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverbial; Translation: forty; Notes: repeated for balance with “nights.”
  15. noctibus — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: nights; Notes: pairs with “days” to express completeness.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates next clause; Translation: and; Notes: marks transition to second divine action.
  17. delebo — Lemma: deleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: I will destroy; Notes: deliberate act of judgment.
  18. omnem — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “substantiam”; Translation: every / all; Notes: denotes universality.
  19. substantiam — Lemma: substantia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: substance; Notes: collective for “living existence.”
  20. quam — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “feci”; Translation: which; Notes: links creation with destruction.
  21. feci — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: first person singular perfect active indicative; Function: subordinate verb; Translation: I made; Notes: recalls creative act now undone.
  22. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates separation; Translation: from; Notes: prefaces ablative of source.
  23. superficie — Lemma: superficies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: surface; Notes: poetic synonym for “face.”
  24. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: complements “superficie”; Translation: of the earth; Notes: indicates totality of judgment across land.

 

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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