Genesis 1:6

Posted on January 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 1:6 Dixit quoque Deus: Fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum: et dividat aquas ab aquis.

And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate waters from waters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 Fiat let there be 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
5 firmamentum firmament NOM.SG.N
6 in in PREP+ABL
7 medio midst ABL.SG.N
8 aquarum of waters GEN.PL.F
9 et and CONJ
10 dividat let it divide 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
11 aquas waters ACC.PL.F
12 ab from PREP+ABL
13 aquis waters ABL.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Deus (Subject) + Dixit (Verb)
Object: Direct command clause — Fiat firmamentum

Subordinate Volitional Clause: dividat aquas ab aquis — jussive subjunctive
Phrase: in medio aquarum — ablative of place, specifying location of firmament

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main narrative verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces divine command.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Coordinating adverb; Function: Adds additional creative act; Translation: “also”; Notes: Continues sequence of commands.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: Divine agent.
  4. Fiat — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Jussive command; Translation: “let there be”; Notes: Creative decree.
  5. firmamentum — Lemma: firmamentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of jussive verb; Translation: “firmament”; Notes: Separator of cosmic waters.
  6. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Introduces location phrase; Translation: “in”; Notes: Spatial detail.
  7. medio — Lemma: medius; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Modifies understood “place”; Translation: “midst”; Notes: Spatial center.
  8. aquarum — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of waters”; Notes: Describes surrounding domain.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Joins volitional clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Builds compound command.
  10. dividat — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Jussive expressing purposeful separation; Translation: “let it divide”; Notes: Key act of ordering creation.
  11. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Lower waters.
  12. ab — Lemma: a/ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Separation marker; Translation: “from”; Notes: Distinction emphasis.
  13. aquis — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Object of preposition; Translation: “waters”; Notes: Upper waters.

 

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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