Genesis 9:28

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:28 Vixit autem Noe post diluvium trecentis quinquaginta annis.

But Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 autem but CONJ
3 Noe Noah N.NOM.SG.M
4 post after PREP+ACC
5 diluvium flood N.ACC.SG.N
6 trecentis three hundred NUM.INSTR.PL
7 quinquaginta fifty NUM.INVAR
8 annis years N.ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixit autem Noe post diluvium trecentis quinquaginta annis — complete statement describing the duration of Noah’s life after the flood.
Verb: Vixit — main predicate, perfect tense marking completed lifespan.
Temporal Phrase: post diluvium — prepositional phrase denoting time reference “after the flood.”
Ablative of Duration: trecentis quinquaginta annis — indicates the span of years during which Noah continued to live.
Word Order: Subject follows verb for narrative emphasis; the numeral phrase closes the sentence for rhythmic balance.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Perfect tense summarizes the completed lifespan of Noah after the deluge.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Transitional particle; Translation: “but”; Notes: Links post-diluvian account to preceding narrative.
  3. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Vixit; Translation: “Noah”; Notes: The patriarch who survived the flood.
  4. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Temporal preposition; Translation: “after”; Notes: Marks time subsequent to the flood.
  5. diluvium — Lemma: diluvium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of post; Translation: “flood”; Notes: Refers to the universal deluge of Genesis 7–8.
  6. trecentis — Lemma: trecenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Ablative plural (instrumental use with annis); Function: Part of ablative of duration; Translation: “three hundred”; Notes: Indicates number in combination with quinquaginta.
  7. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “fifty”; Notes: Combined with trecentis to yield “three hundred and fifty.”
  8. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses how long Noah lived after the flood.

 

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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