Genesis 9:7

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:7 Vos autem crescite et multiplicamini, et ingredimini super terram, et implete eam.

But you, increase and multiply, and go upon the earth, and fill it.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vos you PRON.NOM.PL
2 autem but CONJ
3 crescite increase 2PL.PRES.IMP.ACT
4 et and CONJ
5 multiplicamini be multiplied 2PL.PRES.IMP.PASS
6 et and CONJ
7 ingredimini enter/go upon 2PL.PRES.IMP.DEP
8 super upon PREP+ACC
9 terram earth N.ACC.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 implete fill 2PL.PRES.IMP.ACT
12 eam it PRON.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Vos autem crescite et multiplicamini — a divine imperative addressed directly to humanity, commanding growth and increase.
Coordinated Clauses: et ingredimini super terram, et implete eam — two further imperatives joined by et, directing movement across the earth and its subsequent filling.
Subjects and Verbs: Vos serves as the explicit subject; the verbs crescite, multiplicamini, ingredimini, implete express consecutive divine commands emphasizing fruitfulness and dominion.

Morphology

  1. Vos — Lemma: vos; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative plural; Function: Explicit subject of the imperatives; Translation: “you”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun used for direct address.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Contrastive conjunction; Translation: “but”; Notes: Shifts from the prior divine justice to renewed blessing.
  3. crescite — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present imperative active 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “increase”; Notes: Denotes physical and generational growth.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Coordinates two imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential linking of divine commands.
  5. multiplicamini — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent-like passive form); Form: Present imperative passive 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “be multiplied”; Notes: Reflexive or passive in form, active in meaning—command to reproduce.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links further imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects subsequent commands logically.
  7. ingredimini — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Present imperative deponent 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “go upon” or “enter”; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning; signals dominion over the earth.
  8. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses motion over; Translation: “upon”; Notes: Denotes authority or movement across the land.
  9. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Refers to the inhabited world as humanity’s domain.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links the final imperative; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues sequential tone.
  11. implete — Lemma: impleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present imperative active 2nd person plural; Function: Final command; Translation: “fill”; Notes: Culminates the triad of divine instructions—growth, dominion, fullness.
  12. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of implete; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to terram, the earth to be filled.

 

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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