Genesis 11:7

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:7 Venite igitur, descendamus, et confundamus ibi linguam eorum, ut non audiat unusquisque vocem proximi sui.

Come therefore, let Us descend, and there let Us confound their language, so that each one may not hear the voice of his neighbor.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Venite come 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 igitur therefore ADV
3 descendamus let us descend 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
4 et and CONJ
5 confundamus let us confound 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
6 ibi there ADV
7 linguam language ACC.SG.F
8 eorum of them GEN.PL.M
9 ut so that CONJ.PURPOSE
10 non not ADV.NEG
11 audiat may hear 3SG.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 unusquisque each one NOM.SG.M
13 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
14 proximi of neighbor GEN.SG.M
15 sui his REFL.PRON.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Imperative Clause: Venite igitur — an invitation expressing divine deliberation among the heavenly council.
Purpose Clause: ut non audiat unusquisque vocem proximi sui — introduced by ut, expressing divine intent “so that each one may not hear.”
Coordinate Actions: descendamus and confundamus — first person plural subjunctives conveying divine resolve.
Object Phrase: linguam eorum — direct object of confundamus, “their language.”
Adverbial: ibi specifies the place where the confusion will occur.

Morphology

  1. Venite — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “come”; Notes: Invites divine cooperation, plural of majesty.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Marks logical consequence; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Conclusive adverb linking to prior divine speech.
  3. descendamus — Lemma: descendo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 1st person plural; Function: Hortatory subjunctive; Translation: “let us descend”; Notes: Expresses divine intent or counsel.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects parallel verbs; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine actions together.
  5. confundamus — Lemma: confundo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 1st person plural; Function: Hortatory subjunctive; Translation: “let us confound”; Notes: Expresses cooperative divine action to disrupt human unity.
  6. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Indicates location of divine intervention.
  7. linguam — Lemma: lingua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of confundamus; Translation: “language”; Notes: Represents speech or tongue as symbol of unity.
  8. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to humankind.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Subordinating; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “so that”; Notes: Introduces divine purpose for the action.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Negative particle; Function: Negates verb; Translation: “not”; Notes: Expresses negation within the clause.
  11. audiat — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 3rd person singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “may hear”; Notes: Subjunctive shows potential or intended result.
  12. unusquisque — Lemma: unusquisque; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of audiat; Translation: “each one”; Notes: Refers to every individual among humankind.
  13. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of audiat; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Symbol of communication disrupted by divine act.
  14. proximi — Lemma: proximus; Part of Speech: Noun (substantivized adjective); Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessor of vox; Translation: “of neighbor”; Notes: Indicates relational proximity among humans.
  15. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive adjective; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies proximi; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers reflexively to unusquisque.

 

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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