Genesis 8:1

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

1 Recordatus autem Deus Noe, cunctorumque animantium, et omnium iumentorum, quæ erant cum eo in arca, adduxit spiritum super terram, et imminutæ sunt aquæ.

But God remembered Noe, and all the living creatures, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and He brought a wind upon the earth, and the waters were diminished.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Recordatus having remembered VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
2 autem but / however CONJ.ADV
3 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 Noe Noah NOUN.ACC.SG.M
5 cunctorumque and of all ADJ.GEN.PL.N + ENCL
6 animantium living creatures NOUN.GEN.PL.N
7 et and CONJ
8 omnium of all ADJ.GEN.PL.N
9 iumentorum of cattle / beasts of burden NOUN.GEN.PL.N
10 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
11 erant were VERB.3PL.IMPERF.IND.ACT
12 cum with PREP+ABL
13 eo him PRON.PERS.ABL.SG.M
14 in in / inside PREP+ABL
15 arca ark NOUN.ABL.SG.F
16 adduxit brought / sent VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
17 spiritum wind / breath NOUN.ACC.SG.M
18 super upon / over PREP+ACC
19 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
20 et and CONJ
21 imminutæ were diminished VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.F
22 sunt were VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
23 aquæ waters NOUN.NOM.PL.F

Syntax

The principal clause begins with Recordatus autem Deus Noe, in which the participle Recordatus (from recordor) functions as a finite verb, meaning “God remembered.”
The phrase cunctorumque animantium et omnium iumentorum extends the object of remembrance through genitive relationships, joined by the enclitic -que.
The relative clause quæ erant cum eo in arca further defines these creatures as those preserved with Noe.
Then adduxit spiritum super terram introduces divine action—the sending of a “wind” (spiritum) to initiate the recession of the floodwaters.
The final clause et imminutæ sunt aquæ uses a perfect passive periphrastic to indicate that the waters subsided as a result of that wind.
The structure alternates between mercy and power, signaling a turning point in the flood narrative.

Morphology

  1. Recordatus — Lemma: recordor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: main verb; Translation: having remembered / remembered; Notes: deponent verb functioning actively in meaning.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction (adversative); Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional particle; Translation: but / however; Notes: introduces contrast between judgment and mercy.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: God; Notes: the actor restoring order to creation.
  4. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine (Greek indeclinable form); Function: direct object of Recordatus; Translation: Noe; Notes: the recipient of divine remembrance.
  5. cunctorumque — Lemma: cunctus + -que; Part of Speech: Adjective (quantifier) + enclitic; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies animantium; Translation: and of all; Notes: expresses comprehensiveness of preservation.
  6. animantium — Lemma: animal; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: object of remembrance (partitive); Translation: living creatures; Notes: includes all animate beings aboard.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates animantium with iumentorum; Translation: and; Notes: simple additive conjunction.
  8. omnium — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies iumentorum; Translation: of all; Notes: stresses completeness of those remembered.
  9. iumentorum — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: dependent on Recordatus through genitive relation; Translation: of cattle; Notes: domesticated animals distinct from wild beasts.
  10. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of erant; Translation: which; Notes: refers to animantia and iumenta.
  11. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural imperfect indicative active; Function: main verb of relative clause; Translation: were; Notes: indicates continuous state of being within the ark.
  12. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: with; Notes: standard prepositional use for association.
  13. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of cum; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Noe.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: in; Notes: expresses spatial position within the ark.
  15. arca — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: ark; Notes: place of refuge for creation.
  16. adduxit — Lemma: adduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: brought / sent; Notes: denotes divine intervention through nature.
  17. spiritum — Lemma: spiritus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of adduxit; Translation: wind / breath; Notes: same term used for “breath of life,” now for wind bringing renewal.
  18. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: locative; Translation: upon; Notes: introduces field of divine activity.
  19. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: earth; Notes: geographic scope of restoration.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final clause; Translation: and; Notes: connects effect of divine act.
  21. imminutæ — Lemma: imminuo; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive); Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: were diminished; Notes: agrees with aquæ, denoting reduction of floodwaters.
  22. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary of periphrastic perfect; Translation: were; Notes: completes perfect passive form.
  23. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of imminutæ sunt; Translation: waters; Notes: subject whose subsidence signifies renewal of creation.

 

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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