Genesis 11:18

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:18 Vixit quoque Phaleg triginta annis, et genuit Reu.

And Phaleg also lived thirty years, and he begot Reu.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Phaleg Phaleg NOM.SG.M
4 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL
5 annis years ABL.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Reu Reu ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixit quoque Phaleg triginta annis — subject Phaleg with verb vixit, adverb quoque (“also”) showing continuity with prior genealogical entries, and ablative of duration triginta annis (“for thirty years”).
Coordinate Clause: et genuit Reu — conjunction et connects a second clause stating the begetting of Reu, maintaining the genealogical formula.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Describes Phaleg’s life duration prior to fatherhood.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates repetition of the genealogical pattern established earlier.
  3. Phaleg — Lemma: Phaleg; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Phaleg”; Notes: Patriarch from whom a notable division of nations is said to derive.
  4. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Indicates Phaleg’s age at the time of fatherhood.
  5. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Standard temporal ablative denoting how long he lived before the event.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues genealogical sequence formulaically.
  7. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Genealogical term indicating direct descent.
  8. Reu — Lemma: Reu; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Reu”; Notes: The next named descendant in Phaleg’s genealogical line.

 

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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