Genesis 11:25

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:25 Vixitque Nachor postquam genuit Thare, centum decem et novem annis: et genuit filios et filias.

And Nachor lived, after he begot Thare, one hundred and nineteen years; and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixitque and lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 Nachor Nachor NOM.SG.M
3 postquam after CONJ.TEMP
4 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Thare Thare ACC.SG.M
6 centum hundred NUM.INDECL
7 decem ten NUM.INDECL
8 et and CONJ
9 novem nine NUM.INDECL
10 annis years ABL.PL.M
11 et and CONJ
12 genuit begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 filios sons ACC.PL.M
14 et and CONJ
15 filias daughters ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixitque Nachor — subject Nachor with main verb vixit; enclitic “-que” connects this clause to the previous genealogical entry.
Temporal Clause: postquam genuit Thare — subordinate clause introduced by postquam, describing the time after Nachor begot Thare.
Ablative Phrase: centum decem et novem annis — ablative of duration meaning “for one hundred and nineteen years.”
Coordinate Clause: et genuit filios et filias — continues the genealogical formula, stating that Nachor had additional offspring beyond Thare.

Morphology

  1. Vixitque — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular + enclitic “-que”; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and lived”; Notes: The enclitic “-que” links this genealogical statement with the previous one, maintaining narrative continuity.
  2. Nachor — Lemma: Nachor; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Nachor”; Notes: The son of Sarug and father of Thare, a key ancestor in the patriarchal lineage.
  3. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Temporal; Function: Introduces a subordinate clause referring to a preceding action; Translation: “after”; Notes: Common in genealogical formulas marking chronological sequence.
  4. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “begot”; Notes: Refers specifically to Nachor’s fathering of Thare.
  5. Thare — Lemma: Thare; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Thare”; Notes: The next patriarch in the line leading to Abram.
  6. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “hundred”; Notes: The base numeral in the composite “one hundred and nineteen.”
  7. decem — Lemma: decem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds to centum; Translation: “ten”; Notes: Combined numerals express a total count.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Links numerals and clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects decem and novem and later clauses.
  9. novem — Lemma: novem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Completes the compound numeral; Translation: “nine”; Notes: Together with centum decem, forms “one hundred and nineteen.”
  10. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Indicates Nachor’s lifespan following the birth of Thare.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Introduces the coordinate clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues genealogical phrasing.
  12. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of coordinate clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Denotes continued fertility beyond the named heir.
  13. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Typical formulaic expression in genealogies.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects parallel objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links filios and filias.
  15. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes the recurring genealogical statement, signifying a full line of descendants.

 

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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