Genesis 10:18

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 10:18 et Aradium, Samaræum et Amathæum: et posthæc disseminati sunt populi Chananæorum.

And the Aradian, and the Samarite, and the Amathite: and after these the peoples of the Chanaanites were spread abroad.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 et and CONJ
2 Aradium Aradian ACC.SG.M
3 Samaræum Samarite ACC.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Amathæum Amathite ACC.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 posthæc after these ADV
8 disseminati were spread abroad NOM.PL.M.PERF.PASS.PART
9 sunt were 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND.AUX
10 populi peoples NOM.PL.M
11 Chananæorum of the Canaanites GEN.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: et Aradium, Samaræum et Amathæum — continues the genealogical enumeration of Canaanite descendants, functioning as coordinated accusatives governed by the implied verb genuit (“begot”).
Main Clause 2: et posthæc disseminati sunt populi Chananæorum — “and after these the peoples of the Canaanites were spread abroad.” This introduces a narrative shift from genealogy to geographical dispersion.
The adverb posthæc (“after these”) marks temporal progression, while disseminati sunt (perfect passive) describes the distribution of ethnic groups.
Word Order: Typical of Vulgate syntax: paratactic coordination by repeated et, then a final passive clause summarizing the result of prior genealogical listings.

Morphology

  1. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links the current names to the preceding list; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues additive genealogical style.
  2. Aradium — Lemma: Aradius; Part of Speech: Proper noun (ethnic name); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of implied genuit; Translation: “Aradian”; Notes: Refers to inhabitants of Aradus (modern Arwad), an island city off the coast of Phoenicia.
  3. Samaræum — Lemma: Samaræus; Part of Speech: Proper noun (ethnic name); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Coordinated direct object; Translation: “Samarite”; Notes: Refers to descendants linked to the region of Samara (possibly northern Syria).
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links next item in the enumeration; Translation: “and”; Notes: Repetitive stylistic connective.
  5. Amathæum — Lemma: Amathæus; Part of Speech: Proper noun (ethnic name); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Final coordinated direct object; Translation: “Amathite”; Notes: Refers to inhabitants of Hamath, a major Syrian city on the Orontes River.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects preceding genealogical enumeration with the summarizing clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Signals transition from list to result.
  7. posthæc — Lemma: posthæc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal marker; Translation: “after these”; Notes: Indicates chronological succession following the enumeration.
  8. disseminati — Lemma: dissêmino; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative plural masculine; Function: Predicate complement; Translation: “spread abroad”; Notes: Agrees with populi; denotes dispersion or distribution.
  9. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person plural (auxiliary); Function: Completes perfect passive construction; Translation: “were”; Notes: Forms the perfect passive tense with disseminati.
  10. populi — Lemma: populus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of disseminati sunt; Translation: “peoples”; Notes: Refers to the various tribes descended from Canaan.
  11. Chananæorum — Lemma: Chananæus; Part of Speech: Proper noun (ethnic designation); Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying populi; Translation: “of the Canaanites”; Notes: Identifies the collective ethnic group resulting from the preceding lineage.

 

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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