Genesis 11:10

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:10 Hæ sunt generationes Sem: Sem erat centum annorum quando genuit Arphaxad, biennio post diluvium.

These are the generations of Sem: Sem was one hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, two years after the flood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæ these NOM.PL.F
2 sunt are 3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 generationes generations NOM.PL.F
4 Sem Sem GEN.SG.M
5 Sem Sem NOM.SG.M
6 erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
7 centum one hundred NUM.INDECL
8 annorum years GEN.PL.M
9 quando when CONJ.TEMP
10 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 Arphaxad Arphaxad ACC.SG.M
12 biennio in the second year ABL.SG.N
13 post after PREP+ACC
14 diluvium flood ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Opening Clause: Hæ sunt generationes Sem — identifies the genealogical section; Hæ (subject) + sunt (copula) + generationes (predicate nominative) + genitive Sem (“of Sem”).
Main Clause: Sem erat centum annorum — expresses Sem’s age, “Sem was one hundred years old.”
Temporal Clause: quando genuit Arphaxad — introduced by quando, indicating the time when Sem begot Arphaxad.
Adverbial Phrase: biennio post diluvium — specifies time relation “two years after the flood.”

Morphology

  1. Hæ — Lemma: hic, haec, hoc; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “these”; Notes: Refers to the genealogical records that follow.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd person plural; Function: Copula; Translation: “are”; Notes: Links subject and predicate.
  3. generationes — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “generations”; Notes: Refers to lineage or descendants.
  4. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine (in first instance); Function: Possessor; Translation: “of Sem”; Notes: Indicates the progenitor of the line.
  5. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (second instance); Function: Subject of erat; Translation: “Sem”; Notes: Named again to begin the genealogical account.
  6. erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Describes a state in the past.
  7. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Quantifies annorum; Translation: “one hundred”; Notes: Used with genitive of measure.
  8. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of measure; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses age numerically.
  9. quando — Lemma: quando; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal; Function: Introduces time clause; Translation: “when”; Notes: Indicates the time of the event.
  10. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb in temporal clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Common genealogical verb indicating procreation.
  11. Arphaxad — Lemma: Arphaxad; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of genuit; Translation: “Arphaxad”; Notes: Name of Sem’s son, continuing the lineage after the flood.
  12. biennio — Lemma: biennium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Ablative of time within which; Translation: “in the second year”; Notes: Denotes a period two years long.
  13. post — Lemma: post; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Marks relation in time; Translation: “after”; Notes: Indicates event subsequent to another.
  14. diluvium — Lemma: diluvium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of post; Translation: “flood”; Notes: Refers to the Deluge of Noah’s era.

 

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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