Genesis 11:21

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:21 Vixit quoque Reu postquam genuit Sarug, ducentis septem annis: et genuit filios et filias.

And Reu also lived, after he begot Sarug, two hundred and seven years; and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Reu Reu NOM.SG.M
4 postquam after CONJ.TEMP
5 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Sarug Sarug ACC.SG.M
7 ducentis two hundred ABL.PL.M
8 septem seven 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: Vixit quoque Reu — subject Reu with verb vixit; adverb quoque (“also”) signals continuity with the prior genealogy.
Temporal Clause: postquam genuit Sarug — marks the time reference relative to the birth of Sarug.
Ablative Phrase (duration): ducentis septem annis — “for two hundred and seven years.”
Coordinate Clause: et genuit filios et filias — continues the formula of further offspring beyond the named heir.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: States Reu’s lifespan segment prior to the coordinate clause.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Additive emphasis; Translation: “also”; Notes: Reinforces the repeated genealogical pattern.
  3. Reu — Lemma: Reu; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Reu”; Notes: Son of Phaleg, father of Sarug.
  4. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal; Function: Introduces prior event; Translation: “after”; Notes: Common temporal linker in genealogies.
  5. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of temporal clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Establishes the time anchor (birth of Sarug).
  6. Sarug — Lemma: Sarug; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Sarug”; Notes: The next named patriarch.
  7. ducentis — Lemma: ducenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “two hundred”; Notes: Part of ablative of duration construction.
  8. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Complements ducentis; Translation: “seven”; Notes: Completes the total 207.
  9. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Indicates the length of Reu’s life after Sarug’s birth.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links to coordinate clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Standard connective in the formula.
  11. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Indicates ongoing fertility.
  12. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Part of the fixed genealogical phrase.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links paired objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects filios and filias.
  14. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes the formula indicating a full progeny.

 

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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