Genesis 8:8

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:8 Emisit quoque columbam post eum, ut videret si iam cessassent aquæ super faciem terræ.

He also sent forth a dove after him, to see if the waters had already ceased upon the face of the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Emisit he sent forth VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 quoque also ADV
3 columbam dove NOUN.ACC.SG.F
4 post after PREP+ACC
5 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
6 ut so that / to CONJ.PURP
7 videret he might see VERB.3SG.IMPERF.SUBJ.ACT
8 si if / whether CONJ.INDIR
9 iam already ADV.TEMP
10 cessassent had ceased VERB.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
11 aquæ waters NOUN.NOM.PL.F
12 super upon PREP+ACC
13 faciem surface / face NOUN.ACC.SG.F
14 terræ of the earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

The main clause Emisit quoque columbam employs the perfect active verb Emisit with adverb quoque (“also”), showing the continuation of Noe’s testing of the earth’s dryness.
The prepositional phrase post eum (“after him”) refers back to the previously sent raven, highlighting sequential order.
The purpose clause ut videret si iam cessassent aquæ super faciem terræ expresses intention: ut introduces purpose with the subjunctive videret (“that he might see”), and the subordinate si clause functions as the indirect question, governed by videret.
The pluperfect subjunctive cessassent indicates completed cessation, while super faciem terræ specifies spatial coverage — the surface of the entire earth.
Together, the syntax portrays Noe’s cautious hope as he seeks confirmation that the judgment waters have subsided.

Morphology

  1. Emisit — Lemma: emitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: he sent forth; Notes: expresses completed act of sending the dove.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: adds connection to prior event; Translation: also; Notes: emphasizes sequence after the raven.
  3. columbam — Lemma: columba; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of Emisit; Translation: dove; Notes: bird symbolizing peace and purity.
  4. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses sequence; Translation: after; Notes: temporal relation to previous action.
  5. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of post; Translation: him; Notes: refers to the raven.
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction (purpose); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: so that / to; Notes: governs subjunctive videret.
  7. videret — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of purpose clause; Translation: he might see; Notes: expresses intention.
  8. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect question; Translation: if / whether; Notes: dependent on videret.
  9. iam — Lemma: iam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: temporal adverb; Translation: already; Notes: indicates expectation of completion.
  10. cessassent — Lemma: cesso; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of indirect question; Translation: had ceased; Notes: implies complete withdrawal of the waters.
  11. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of cessassent; Translation: waters; Notes: refers to floodwaters from previous context.
  12. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: denotes area covered by water.
  13. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: surface / face; Notes: figurative for “surface” of the earth.
  14. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of possession; Translation: of the earth; Notes: indicates the physical domain of drying.

 

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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