Genesis 8:2

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:2 Et clausi sunt fontes abyssi, et cataractæ cæli: et prohibitæ sunt pluviæ de cælo.

And the fountains of the abyss were closed, and the windows of heaven: and the rains from heaven were restrained.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 clausi were closed VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.M
3 sunt were VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
4 fontes fountains / springs NOUN.NOM.PL.M
5 abyssi of the abyss NOUN.GEN.SG.F
6 et and CONJ
7 cataractæ windows / floodgates NOUN.NOM.PL.F
8 cæli of heaven NOUN.GEN.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 prohibitæ were restrained VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.F
11 sunt were VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
12 pluviæ rains NOUN.NOM.PL.F
13 de from PREP+ABL
14 cælo heaven NOUN.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

This verse presents a threefold description of divine cessation of the flood.
The first clause, Et clausi sunt fontes abyssi, describes the subterranean waters being sealed—fontes abyssi serving as the nominative subject, with the periphrastic perfect clausi sunt expressing completed closure.
The coordination et cataractæ cæli adds the celestial sources of water, the “windows of heaven,” which mirror the fountains of the deep.
The final clause, et prohibitæ sunt pluviæ de cælo, completes the reversal of creation’s chaos: the rains are actively restrained.
Together, the clauses depict divine intervention restoring cosmic balance between heaven and earth.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects sequential actions; Translation: and; Notes: coordinates the narrative elements of restoration.
  2. clausi — Lemma: claudo; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive); Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: were closed; Notes: denotes completed action upon the fountains.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary forming periphrastic perfect; Translation: were; Notes: used with clausi to express perfect passive.
  4. fontes — Lemma: fons; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of clausi sunt; Translation: fountains; Notes: denotes subterranean water sources.
  5. abyssi — Lemma: abyssus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the abyss; Notes: symbolizes the chaotic deep from creation imagery.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates subjects; Translation: and; Notes: joins the heavenly counterpart to the deep fountains.
  7. cataractæ — Lemma: cataracta; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject (implied clausæ sunt); Translation: windows / floodgates; Notes: metaphor for openings in the sky releasing rain.
  8. cæli — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of relation; Translation: of heaven; Notes: identifies the cosmic origin of floodwaters.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces third clause; Translation: and; Notes: continues sequence of divine actions.
  10. prohibitæ — Lemma: prohibeo; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive); Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: were restrained; Notes: denotes cessation of the rain’s activity.
  11. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary forming periphrastic perfect; Translation: were; Notes: marks completion of the action.
  12. pluviæ — Lemma: pluvia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of prohibitæ sunt; Translation: rains; Notes: plural emphasizes prolonged downpour.
  13. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: source or origin; Translation: from; Notes: expresses heavenly source of rainfall.
  14. cælo — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of de; Translation: heaven; Notes: locative sphere of divine regulation.

 

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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