Genesis 1:14

Posted on January 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 1:14 Dixit autem Deus: Fiant luminaria in firmamento cæli, et dividant diem ac noctem, et sint in signa et tempora, et dies et annos:

And God said: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven, and let them divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem however CONJ
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 Fiant let there be 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
5 luminaria lights ACC.PL.N
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 firmamento firmament ABL.SG.N
8 cæli of heaven GEN.SG.M
9 et and CONJ
10 dividant may separate 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
11 diem day ACC.SG.M
12 ac and CONJ
13 noctem night ACC.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 sint let them be 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
16 in for PREP+ACC
17 signa signs ACC.PL.N
18 et and CONJ
19 tempora seasons ACC.PL.N
20 et and CONJ
21 dies days ACC.PL.M
22 et and CONJ
23 annos years ACC.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Deus (Subject) + Dixit (Verb)
Content Clause: Fiant luminaria — command forming the core of the utterance
Purpose Clauses:
• dividant diem ac noctem — lights divide day from night
• sint in signa… — lights mark measures of time
Adverbial Phrase: in firmamento cæli — locative expression indicating heavenly positioning

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Narrates divine speech.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Postpositive coordinating conjunction; Function: Connects narrative units; Translation: “however”; Notes: Never appears first in its clause.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Refers to the Creator.
  4. Fiant — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 3rd plural; Function: Subjunctive of command; Translation: “let them be made”; Notes: Used for divine decrees.
  5. luminaria — Lemma: luminare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “lights”; Notes: Refers to celestial bodies.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative here; Function: Locative marker; Translation: “in”; Notes: Indicates spatial placement.
  7. firmamento — Lemma: firmamentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “firmament”; Notes: Cosmological location.
  8. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Descriptive possession; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Defines firmament’s domain.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects actions; Translation: “and”; Notes: Additive coordination.
  10. dividant — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 3rd plural; Function: Purpose/result; Translation: “may separate”; Notes: Expresses functional outcome.
  11. diem — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object; Translation: “day”; Notes: Contrasted with night.
  12. ac — Lemma: ac; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links closely related elements; Translation: “and”; Notes: Slightly more emphatic than “et”.
  13. noctem — Lemma: nox; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object; Translation: “night”; Notes: Contrast forms a cosmological pair.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Repetition increases rhetorical force.
  15. sint — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 3rd plural; Function: Purpose; Translation: “let them be”; Notes: Continuation of decree purpose.
  16. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative here; Function: Purpose marker; Translation: “for”; Notes: Indicates intended purpose.
  17. signa — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Resulting purpose; Translation: “signs”; Notes: Celestial markers.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds another purpose; Translation: “and”; Notes: Additive.
  19. tempora — Lemma: tempus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Resulting purpose; Translation: “seasons”; Notes: Time measurement.
  20. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds another purpose; Translation: “and”; Notes: Emphatic repetition.
  21. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Resulting purpose; Translation: “days”; Notes: Cosmic time unit.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds final purpose; Translation: “and”; Notes: Final additive link.
  23. annos — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Resulting purpose; Translation: “years”; Notes: Full calendrical cycle.

 

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.