Genesis 10:5

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 10:5 Ab his divisæ sunt insulæ gentium in regionibus suis, unusquisque secundum linguam suam et familias suas in nationibus suis.

From these the islands of the nations were divided in their regions, each one according to his own language and his families in their nations.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ab from PREP+ABL
2 his these ABL.PL.M.DEM.PRON
3 divisæ were divided 3PL.PERF.PASS.IND.F
4 sunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.AUX
5 insulæ islands NOM.PL.F
6 gentium of nations GEN.PL.F
7 in in PREP+ABL
8 regionibus regions ABL.PL.F
9 suis their ABL.PL.F.REFL.POSS.ADJ
10 unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M.INDEF.PRON
11 secundum according to PREP+ACC
12 linguam language ACC.SG.F
13 suam his own ACC.SG.F.REFL.POSS.ADJ
14 et and CONJ
15 familias families ACC.PL.F
16 suas their own ACC.PL.F.REFL.POSS.ADJ
17 in in PREP+ABL
18 nationibus nations ABL.PL.F
19 suis their ABL.PL.F.REFL.POSS.ADJ

Syntax

Main Clause: Ab his divisæ sunt insulæ gentium — “From these the islands of the nations were divided.” The prepositional phrase Ab his marks origin, insulæ gentium is the nominative subject, and divisæ sunt forms the passive verbal complex.
Prepositional Phrase: in regionibus suis — indicates the sphere of division (“in their regions”).
Subordinate Phrase: unusquisque secundum linguam suam et familias suas in nationibus suis — elaborates on how the division occurred, specifying individuality by language, family, and nation.
Word Order: The clause follows typical Vulgate narrative order—prepositional origin first, followed by passive verb, and then distributive detail emphasizing orderliness and divine arrangement of the nations.

Morphology

  1. Ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates origin or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Used before consonants to show separation or derivation.
  2. his — Lemma: hic, hæc, hoc; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Object of the preposition ab; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the descendants of the sons of Noah listed previously.
  3. divisæ — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle); Form: Perfect passive indicative, 3rd person plural, feminine; Function: Main verb; Translation: “were divided”; Notes: Passive agreement with insulæ as feminine plural subject.
  4. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (auxiliary); Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural; Function: Auxiliary verb forming the perfect passive; Translation: “were”; Notes: Completes the perfect passive construction.
  5. insulæ — Lemma: insula; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “islands”; Notes: Metaphorically refers to territories or coastal regions inhabited by various nations.
  6. gentium — Lemma: gens; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying insulæ; Translation: “of nations”; Notes: Indicates that the islands belong to or are inhabited by the nations.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks the setting of distribution.
  8. regionibus — Lemma: regio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “regions”; Notes: Geographic areas or territories.
  9. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Modifies regionibus; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflects ownership tied to each lineage.
  10. unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: Indefinite pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of implied verb (understood in distributional sense); Translation: “each one”; Notes: Introduces distributive description.
  11. secundum — Lemma: secundum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates standard or measure; Translation: “according to”; Notes: Expresses conformity to a pattern.
  12. linguam — Lemma: lingua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of secundum; Translation: “language”; Notes: Refers to linguistic differentiation among peoples.
  13. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies linguam; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Reflects individualized possession.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links linguam suam and familias suas; Translation: “and”; Notes: Adds a further descriptive element.
  15. familias — Lemma: familia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of secundum (shared); Translation: “families”; Notes: Denotes kinship or household groups within nations.
  16. suas — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies familias; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Indicates belonging within each family unit.
  17. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses location or context; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks the situational sphere.
  18. nationibus — Lemma: natio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “nations”; Notes: Refers to ethnic or tribal groupings.
  19. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Modifies nationibus; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflects collective possession corresponding to prior subjects.

 

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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