Genesis 9:14

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:14 Cumque obduxero nubibus cælum, apparebit arcus meus in nubibus:

And when I shall have covered the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ
2 obduxero I shall have covered 1SG.FUT.PERF.IND.ACT
3 nubibus with clouds N.ABL.PL.F
4 cælum sky N.ACC.SG.N
5 apparebit shall appear 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
6 arcus bow N.NOM.SG.M
7 meus my PRON.POSS.NOM.SG.M
8 in in PREP+ABL
9 nubibus clouds N.ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Temporal Clause: Cumque obduxero nubibus cælum — dependent temporal clause indicating the divine act that precedes the sign’s appearance: “And when I shall have covered the sky with clouds.”
Main Clause: apparebit arcus meus in nubibus — expresses the result: “my bow shall appear in the clouds.”
Word Order: apparebit arcus meus emphasizes the divine ownership and manifestation of the sign following the covering of the heavens.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction (temporal, with enclitic); Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces subordinate temporal clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Combines sequential connection (-que) with temporal reference.
  2. obduxero — Lemma: obduco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future perfect indicative active 1st person singular; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “I shall have covered”; Notes: Future perfect highlights completion of action prior to main clause.
  3. nubibus — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “with clouds”; Notes: Expresses the instrument or material used to cover the sky.
  4. cælum — Lemma: cælum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of obduxero; Translation: “sky”; Notes: The domain over which the clouds are spread.
  5. apparebit — Lemma: appareo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of principal clause; Translation: “shall appear”; Notes: Indicates the manifestation of the sign as a visible event.
  6. arcus — Lemma: arcus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of apparebit; Translation: “bow”; Notes: Refers specifically to the rainbow as a divine token.
  7. meus — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Pronoun (possessive adjective); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies arcus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Indicates God’s personal possession of the covenant sign.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Specifies the setting of the rainbow.
  9. nubibus — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “clouds”; Notes: Refers again to the sky’s visible vapor where the bow appears.

 

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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