Genesis 11:30

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:30 Erat autem Sarai sterilis, nec habebat liberos.

But Sarai was barren and had no children.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erat was 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
2 autem however / but CONJ.ADV
3 Sarai Sarai NOM.SG.F
4 sterilis barren NOM.SG.F.ADJ
5 nec and not / nor CONJ.NEG
6 habebat had 3SG.IMPF.ACT.IND
7 liberos children ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Erat autem Sarai sterilis — subject Sarai with copula erat and predicate adjective sterilis, describing her condition. The conjunction autem transitions from the previous genealogical record to a narrative statement.
Main Clause 2: nec habebat liberos — negative clause introduced by nec, reinforcing the statement of barrenness with a lack of offspring.

Morphology

  1. Erat — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was”; Notes: Indicates a continuous or enduring state in the past, describing Sarai’s condition before divine intervention.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional connective; Translation: “however” or “but”; Notes: Introduces contrast between genealogical completeness and Sarai’s childlessness.
  3. Sarai — Lemma: Sarai; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Sarai”; Notes: Wife of Abram, later renamed Sarah by divine covenant (Genesis 17:15).
  4. sterilis — Lemma: sterilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “barren”; Notes: Complements the copula erat and introduces the motif of divine promise through human limitation.
  5. nec — Lemma: nec; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Negative coordinating; Function: Connects a negative clause; Translation: “and not / nor”; Notes: Adds emphasis through repetition of negation, forming a stylistic parallelism.
  6. habebat — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “had”; Notes: Expresses continuous lack — Sarai persistently “had no children.”
  7. liberos — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of habebat; Translation: “children”; Notes: Refers to legitimate offspring; its absence underscores the barrenness theme central to Abram’s narrative.

 

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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