Genesis 10:24

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 10:24 At vero Arphaxad genuit Sale, de quo ortus est Heber.

But indeed Arphaxad begot Sale, from whom was born Heber.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 vero indeed ADV
3 Arphaxad Arphaxad NOM.SG.M
4 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Sale Sale ACC.SG.M
6 de from PREP+ABL
7 quo whom ABL.SG.M.REL.PRON
8 ortus was born NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART
9 est was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND.AUX
10 Heber Heber NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: At vero Arphaxad genuit Sale — “But indeed Arphaxad begot Sale.” The conjunction at vero introduces a contrastive continuation of lineage, emphasizing a significant branch of Sem’s descendants.
The subject Arphaxad and verb genuit form a simple narrative clause describing descent.
Relative Clause: de quo ortus est Heber — “from whom was born Heber.” The prepositional phrase de quo (ablative of source) indicates genealogical origin. The verb ortus est (perfect passive) expresses completed action, denoting Heber’s birth from Sale.
Structure: Two clauses linked by genealogy: Arphaxad → Sale → Heber, forming a pivotal line in the ancestry of the Hebrews.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces a mild contrast or transition; Translation: “but”; Notes: Distinguishes this genealogical note from preceding parallel lines, marking a significant new branch.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Emphasizes truth or affirmation; Translation: “indeed”; Notes: Reinforces contrastive conjunction at; common in Biblical Latin to heighten narrative solemnity.
  3. Arphaxad — Lemma: Arphaxad; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Arphaxad”; Notes: Third son of Sem; ancestor of the line leading to Heber and ultimately to Abraham.
  4. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Expresses biological descent; frequent in genealogical formulas throughout Genesis.
  5. Sale — Lemma: Sale; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Sale”; Notes: Also called Shelah in Hebrew (שֵׁלָה); intermediate ancestor between Arphaxad and Heber.
  6. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates origin or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces the source of Heber’s birth.
  7. quo — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “whom”; Notes: Refers to Sale, connecting clauses genealogically.
  8. ortus — Lemma: orior; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: Perfect participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate complement with est; Translation: “was born”; Notes: Deponent form emphasizes passive sense of origin; typical of genealogical Latin usage.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular (auxiliary); Function: Auxiliary completing perfect periphrasis; Translation: “was”; Notes: Used with participle to indicate completed past action.
  10. Heber — Lemma: Heber; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of ortus est; Translation: “Heber”; Notes: Progenitor of the Hebrews; his name gives rise to the ethnonym “Hebraei.”

 

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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