Genesis 10:8

Posted on January 10, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 10:8 Porro Chus genuit Nemrod: ipse cœpit esse potens in terra,

Moreover Chus begot Nemrod: he himself began to be powerful in the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Porro moreover ADV
2 Chus Chus NOM.SG.M
3 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 Nemrod Nemrod ACC.SG.M
5 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M.DEM.PRON
6 cœpit began 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
8 potens powerful NOM.SG.M.ADJ
9 in in PREP+ABL
10 terra earth ABL.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Porro Chus genuit Nemrod — “Moreover Chus begot Nemrod.” The subject Chus with verb genuit expresses direct parentage; Nemrod serves as the direct object.
Main Clause 2: Ipse cœpit esse potens in terra — “He himself began to be powerful in the earth.” This independent clause elaborates on Nemrod’s significance.
Structure: Ipse emphasizes reflexivity (“he himself”), while cœpit esse potens forms a periphrastic expression combining inception (“began”) with a state-of-being infinitive (“to be powerful”).
Word Order: Sequential and narrative; genealogical action (genuit) followed by characterization (cœpit esse potens).

Morphology

  1. Porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional adverb introducing a new statement; Translation: “moreover”; Notes: Common in genealogical or narrative continuations in the Vulgate.
  2. Chus — Lemma: Chus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of genuit; Translation: “Chus”; Notes: Refers to Cush, son of Cham, father of Nimrod.
  3. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Denotes completed act of procreation in genealogical style.
  4. Nemrod — Lemma: Nemrod; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Nemrod”; Notes: Name of a mighty hunter and king mentioned in Genesis 10:8–9.
  5. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Emphatic subject pronoun; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Highlights Nemrod’s personal distinction or renown.
  6. cœpit — Lemma: coepi; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “began”; Notes: Common auxiliary introducing infinitive of continued or progressive action.
  7. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complementary infinitive with cœpit; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Establishes the state that Nemrod began to exhibit.
  8. potens — Lemma: potens; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “powerful”; Notes: Describes Nemrod’s social or military strength; predicate of esse.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location or domain; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks sphere of influence or territory.
  10. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “earth”; Notes: May denote land or the inhabited world generally.

 

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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