Genesis 11:8

Posted on January 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 11:8 Atque ita divisit eos Dominus ex illo loco in universas terras, et cessaverunt ædificare civitatem.

And thus the LORD divided them from that place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Atque and thus CONJ
2 ita thus ADV
3 divisit divided 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 eos them ACC.PL.M
5 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
6 ex from PREP+ABL
7 illo that ABL.SG.M
8 loco place ABL.SG.M
9 in into PREP+ACC
10 universas all ACC.PL.F
11 terras lands ACC.PL.F
12 et and CONJ
13 cessaverunt they ceased 3PL.PERF.ACT.IND
14 ædificare to build INF.PRES.ACT
15 civitatem city ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus divisit eos — the LORD (subject) + divided (verb) + them (object), indicating divine dispersion.
Prepositional Phrases: ex illo loco (“from that place”) expresses the origin of dispersion; in universas terras (“into all the lands”) marks the destination.
Coordinate Clause: et cessaverunt ædificare civitatem — connects the aftermath of dispersion, expressing cessation of the building project.
Adverbial: Atque ita provides summary transition meaning “and thus,” concluding the divine judgment narrative.

Morphology

  1. Atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects sentences and adds emphasis; Translation: “and thus”; Notes: Strengthened form of et used for narrative linkage.
  2. ita — Lemma: ita; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adverb of manner; Translation: “thus”; Notes: Emphasizes result or manner of action.
  3. divisit — Lemma: divido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “divided”; Notes: Indicates a completed divine action dispersing humanity.
  4. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object of divisit; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the people of Babel.
  5. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, the divine agent of dispersion.
  6. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Marks origin or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces the starting point of separation.
  7. illo — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifies loco; Translation: “that”; Notes: Specifies the particular location of dispersion.
  8. loco — Lemma: locus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of preposition ex; Translation: “place”; Notes: Refers to the site of Babel.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses motion toward; Translation: “into”; Notes: Introduces direction of dispersion.
  10. universas — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies terras; Translation: “all”; Notes: Universal scope of divine action.
  11. terras — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object of preposition in; Translation: “lands”; Notes: Refers to the many regions of the earth.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Joins two main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects divine action with human response.
  13. cessaverunt — Lemma: cesso; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they ceased”; Notes: Denotes complete cessation of the building project.
  14. ædificare — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complement of cessaverunt; Translation: “to build”; Notes: Expresses the action stopped by divine intervention.
  15. civitatem — Lemma: civitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ædificare; Translation: “city”; Notes: Refers to the city of Babel, center of human unity and pride.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.