Genesis 11:24

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:24 Vixit autem Nachor viginti novem annis, et genuit Thare.

And Nachor lived twenty-nine years, and he begot Thare.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem and / moreover CONJ.ADV
3 Nachor Nachor NOM.SG.M
4 viginti twenty NUM.INDECL
5 novem nine NUM.INDECL
6 annis years ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Thare Thare ACC.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixit autem Nachor viginti novem annis — subject Nachor with verb vixit; autem provides transition or mild contrast; viginti novem annis is ablative of duration meaning “for twenty-nine years.”
Coordinate Clause: et genuit Thare — conjunction et introduces the second clause describing the generation of Thare.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Marks Nachor’s lifespan prior to fathering Thare.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional particle; Translation: “and” or “moreover”; Notes: Used stylistically to vary the genealogy sequence.
  3. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Nachor”; Notes: Son of Sarug, father of Thare, ancestor of Abram.
  4. viginti — Lemma: viginti; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “twenty”; Notes: Forms part of the compound numeral.
  5. novem — Lemma: novem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Complements viginti; Translation: “nine”; Notes: Together with viginti, expresses the number 29.
  6. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Indicates the span of Nachor’s life before Thare’s birth.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects the two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Maintains formulaic genealogical flow.
  8. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Typical genealogical verb indicating direct descent.
  9. Thare — Lemma: Thare; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Thare”; Notes: The next patriarch, father of Abram (Abraham).

 

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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