Genesis 10:11

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 10:11 De terra illa egressus est Assur, et ædificavit Niniven, et plateas civitatis, et Chale.

From that land Assur went out, and he built Nineven, and the streets of the city, and Chale.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De from PREP+ABL
2 terra land ABL.SG.F
3 illa that ABL.SG.F.DEM.ADJ
4 egressus went out NOM.SG.M.PERF.PART.DEP
5 est is 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.AUX
6 Assur Assur NOM.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 ædificavit built 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Niniven Nineveh ACC.SG.F
10 et and CONJ
11 plateas streets ACC.PL.F
12 civitatis of the city GEN.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 Chale Chale ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: De terra illa egressus est Assur — “From that land Assur went out.” The prepositional phrase De terra illa marks origin, while the verb phrase egressus est (perfect deponent) denotes completed movement, with Assur as subject.
Main Clause 2: et ædificavit Niniven, et plateas civitatis, et Chale — “and he built Nineveh, and the streets of the city, and Chale.” The verb ædificavit governs a series of coordinated accusatives identifying the constructions or cities attributed to Assur.
Word Order: The narrative follows Latin parataxis—linked by repeated et—mirroring the Hebrew genealogy style. The passage progresses from departure to architectural activity.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses source or origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Commonly denotes spatial departure.
  2. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “land”; Notes: The geographical point of departure.
  3. illa — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: Demonstrative adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies terra; Translation: “that”; Notes: Refers to the previously mentioned land of Sennaar (Shinar).
  4. egressus — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: Perfect participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate element with est; Translation: “went out”; Notes: Forms perfect tense of deponent construction with est.
  5. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular (auxiliary); Function: Auxiliary verb completing the deponent form; Translation: “is / was”; Notes: Auxiliary for perfect deponent.
  6. Assur — Lemma: Assur; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of egressus est; Translation: “Assur”; Notes: Eponymous founder of Assyria; sometimes interpreted as “the Assyrian.”
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links the two main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks sequential narrative progression.
  8. ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “built”; Notes: Describes constructive activity attributed to Assur.
  9. Niniven — Lemma: Ninive; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of ædificavit; Translation: “Nineveh”; Notes: Capital city of Assyria, founded by Assur or Nimrod.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects following object; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential connector.
  11. plateas — Lemma: platea; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “streets”; Notes: May also denote “open spaces” or “squares” of a city.
  12. civitatis — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying plateas; Translation: “of the city”; Notes: Specifies which streets were built.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Adds the final construction or location; Translation: “and”; Notes: Sequential addition of last noun.
  14. Chale — Lemma: Chale; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Final direct object; Translation: “Chale”; Notes: Ancient city also known as Calah, near modern Nimrud, associated with early Assyrian civilization.

 

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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