Genesis 11:23

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:23 Vixitque Sarug postquam genuit Nachor, ducentis annis: et genuit filios et filias.

And Sarug lived, after he begot Nachor, two hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixitque and lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Sarug Sarug NOM.SG.M
3 postquam after CONJ.TEMP
4 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Nachor Nachor ACC.SG.M
6 ducentis two hundred ABL.PL.M
7 annis years ABL.PL.M
8 et and CONJ
9 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 filios sons ACC.PL.M
11 et and CONJ
12 filias daughters ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixitque Sarug — subject Sarug with verb vixit, joined by enclitic “-que” to the previous genealogical statement.
Temporal Clause: postquam genuit Nachor — introduced by postquam, indicating the time after Sarug begot Nachor.
Ablative Phrase: ducentis annis — ablative of duration, expressing “for two hundred years.”
Coordinate Clause: et genuit filios et filias — the conjunction et links to a new clause describing Sarug’s other offspring, following the genealogical formula.

Morphology

  1. Vixitque — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular + enclitic “-que”; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and lived”; Notes: The enclitic connects the clause to the previous genealogical entry, maintaining the narrative flow.
  2. Sarug — Lemma: Sarug; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Sarug”; Notes: The patriarch continuing the line through Nachor.
  3. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal; Function: Introduces a subordinate clause of prior action; Translation: “after”; Notes: Used formulaically to mark sequence in genealogies.
  4. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Verb in temporal clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Refers to the birth of Nachor as a reference point for Sarug’s later years.
  5. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Nachor”; Notes: The next generation in the genealogical record.
  6. ducentis — Lemma: ducenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “two hundred”; Notes: Part of the ablative of duration phrase.
  7. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses the span of time Sarug lived after fathering Nachor.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects the next clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective in genealogical structures.
  9. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the coordinate clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Indicates continuation of progeny beyond the named heir.
  10. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Denotes additional male descendants.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links filios and filias.
  12. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes the standard genealogical expression indicating full offspring.

 

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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