Genesis 11:17

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:17 Et vixit Heber postquam genuit Phaleg, quadringentis triginta annis: et genuit filios et filias.

And Heber lived, after he begot Phaleg, four hundred and thirty years; and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Heber Heber NOM.SG.M
4 postquam after CONJ.TEMP
5 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Phaleg Phaleg ACC.SG.M
7 quadringentis four hundred ABL.PL.M
8 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL
9 annis years ABL.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 filios sons ACC.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 filias daughters ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Et vixit Heber — the conjunction et joins this entry to the preceding genealogy; Heber is the subject and vixit the main verb.
Temporal Clause: postquam genuit Phaleg — introduced by postquam, describing the time after Heber begot Phaleg.
Ablative Phrase: quadringentis triginta annis — ablative of duration, “for four hundred and thirty years.”
Coordinate Clause: et genuit filios et filias — records the continuation of progeny, following the genealogical formula.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects this genealogy to the preceding one; Translation: “and”; Notes: Typical connective beginning in genealogical narratives.
  2. vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Indicates the continuation of life following childbirth.
  3. Heber — Lemma: Heber; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Heber”; Notes: The ancestor of Phaleg, from whom the Hebrews descend.
  4. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal; Function: Introduces clause indicating previous event; Translation: “after”; Notes: Marks sequence of life events.
  5. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Verb in temporal clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Expresses paternal generation preceding the main clause.
  6. Phaleg — Lemma: Phaleg; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Phaleg”; Notes: The next patriarch in the genealogical lineage.
  7. quadringentis — Lemma: quadringenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “four hundred”; Notes: Used in ablative of duration constructions.
  8. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Complements quadringentis; Translation: “thirty”; Notes: Forms the compound number 430.
  9. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses how long Heber lived after Phaleg’s birth.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects the two main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues genealogical sequence.
  11. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Introduces mention of unnamed offspring.
  12. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Typical part of formulaic genealogical phrasing.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links filios and filias in apposition.
  14. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes standard genealogical expression, emphasizing fertility and continuation of 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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