Genesis 11:14

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:14 Sale quoque vixit triginta annis, et genuit Heber.

And Sale also lived thirty years, and he begot Heber.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sale Sale NOM.SG.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL
5 annis years ABL.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Heber Heber ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Sale quoque vixit triginta annis — subject Sale with adverb quoque (“also”) highlights continuation of the genealogical pattern; vixit serves as the main verb, with ablative of duration triginta annis (“for thirty years”).
Coordinate Clause: et genuit Heber — conjunction et links the second clause, describing Sale’s act of fathering Heber, the next descendant in the line.

Morphology

  1. Sale — Lemma: Sale; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Sale”; Notes: Descendant of Arphaxad and ancestor of Heber.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds inclusion or emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Indicates continuity with previous genealogical statements.
  3. vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Denotes period of life prior to fatherhood.
  4. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Used with ablative of time to indicate age.
  5. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses span of years before begetting Heber.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects sequential clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues genealogical sequence.
  7. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of coordinate clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Standard genealogical term indicating procreation.
  8. Heber — Lemma: Heber; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Heber”; Notes: Eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews, marking a significant genealogical branch.

 

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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