Genesis 7:16

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:16 Et quæ ingressa sunt, masculus et femina ex omni carne introierunt, sicut præceperat ei Deus: et inclusit eum Dominus deforis.

And whatever entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in from outside.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 quæ which / whatever PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
3 ingressa entered VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.N
4 sunt were / have (aux.) VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
5 masculus male NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 femina female NOUN.NOM.SG.F
8 ex from / out of PREP+ABL
9 omni every / all ADJ.ABL.SG.F
10 carne flesh NOUN.ABL.SG.F
11 introierunt they went in VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
12 sicut as / just as CONJ
13 præceperat had commanded VERB.3SG.PLUPERF.IND.ACT
14 ei to him PRON.DAT.SG.M
15 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
16 et and CONJ
17 inclusit shut in / enclosed VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
18 eum him PRON.ACC.SG.M
19 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
20 deforis from outside ADV

Syntax

The main clause begins with the relative pronoun quæ referring to “all living beings” implied from context, forming quæ ingressa sunt (“whatever entered”).
This is followed by the nominative apposition masculus et femina describing gender pairs, and the ablative prepositional phrase ex omni carne denoting origin — “from all flesh.”
The verb introierunt is the main action (“they went in”), linked by sicut præceperat ei Deus, an adverbial clause expressing divine obedience.
The final clause et inclusit eum Dominus deforis introduces a new subject — Dominus — and describes divine protection: YHWH personally seals Noe within the ark.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: connects the verse to prior narrative flow.
  2. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of ingressa sunt; Translation: which / whatever; Notes: refers to all living things entering.
  3. ingressa — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: nominative plural neuter perfect participle; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: entered; Notes: agrees with neuter quæ.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (auxiliary); Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active; Function: auxiliary with participle; Translation: were / have; Notes: forms periphrastic perfect.
  5. masculus — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to quæ; Translation: male; Notes: gender specification of entrants.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects masculus and femina; Translation: and; Notes: binary complement structure.
  7. femina — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: second element of pair; Translation: female; Notes: parallels masculus.
  8. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses origin; Translation: from / out of; Notes: denotes derivation from “all flesh.”
  9. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies carne; Translation: all / every; Notes: totalizing adjective.
  10. carne — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of ex; Translation: flesh; Notes: collective term for living beings.
  11. introierunt — Lemma: introeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: went in; Notes: denotes completed action of entry.
  12. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison clause; Translation: as / just as; Notes: initiates subordinate clause of manner.
  13. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: denotes divine prior instruction.
  14. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of præceperat; Translation: to him; Notes: refers to Noe.
  15. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of præceperat; Translation: God; Notes: divine authority issuing the command.
  16. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates new clause; Translation: and; Notes: shifts focus to subsequent divine action.
  17. inclusit — Lemma: includo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: shut in / enclosed; Notes: divine protective sealing.
  18. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of inclusit; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Noe.
  19. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of inclusit; Translation: LORD; Notes: the divine actor identified with YHWH.
  20. deforis — Lemma: deforis; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adverb of place; Translation: from outside; Notes: spatial specification emphasizing enclosure.

 

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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