Genesis 1:20

Posted on January 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 1:20 Dixit etiam Deus: Producant aquæ reptile animæ viventis, et volatile super terram sub firmamento cæli.

And God also said: Let the waters bring forth the creeping thing of the living soul, and the winged thing above the earth under the firmament of heaven.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 etiam also ADV
3 Deus: God NOM.SG.M
4 Producant let bring forth 3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
5 aquæ waters NOM.PL.F
6 reptile creeping thing ACC.SG.N
7 animæ of soul GEN.SG.F
8 viventis, living GEN.SG.F.PTCP.PRES.ACT
9 et and CONJ
10 volatile winged creature ACC.SG.N
11 super above PREP+ACC
12 terram earth ACC.SG.F
13 sub under PREP+ABL
14 firmamento firmament ABL.SG.N
15 cæli. of heaven GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixit etiam Deus — divine speech introduction
Content Clause: Producant aquæ — jussive subjunctive expressing command
Direct Objects:
• reptile animæ viventis — living aquatic creatures
• volatile — winged creatures
Adverbial Phrases:
• super terram — spatial domain of flight
• sub firmamento cæli — location beneath heavens

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks initiation of command.
  2. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Function: Adds additional decree; Translation: “also”; Notes: Intensifies continuation.
  3. Deus: — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Colon preserved.
  4. Producant — Lemma: produco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 3rd plural; Function: Subjunctive of command; Translation: “let them bring forth”; Notes: Waters personified as productive.
  5. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Subject of Producant; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Collective plural.
  6. reptile — Lemma: reptile; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “creeping creature”; Notes: Generic aquatic lifeform.
  7. animæ — Lemma: anima; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive of living property; Translation: “of soul”; Notes: Indicates life principle.
  8. viventis, — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Present active participle, genitive singular feminine; Function: Descriptive modifier; Translation: “living”; Notes: Punctuation preserved.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Function: Adds second object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating.
  10. volatile — Lemma: volatilis; Part of Speech: Adjective/Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object; Translation: “winged creature”; Notes: Collective vertical life forms.
  11. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Spatial relation; Translation: “above”; Notes: Denotes altitude.
  12. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Domain above ground.
  13. sub — Lemma: sub; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Spatial relation; Translation: “under”; Notes: Vertical relation.
  14. firmamento — Lemma: firmamentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “firmament”; Notes: Heavenly expanse.
  15. cæli. — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Descriptive genitive; Translation: “of heaven”; Notes: Punctuation preserved.

 

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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