Genesis 2:12

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

GN 2:12 Et aurum terræ illius optimum est: ibi invenitur bdellium, et lapis onychinus.

And the gold of that land is the best: there is found bdellium and the onyx stone.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 aurum gold NOM.SG.N
3 terræ of the land GEN.SG.F
4 illius of that DEM.PRON.GEN.SG.F
5 optimum best NOM.SG.N
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 ibi there ADV
8 invenitur is found 3SG.PRES.PASS.IND
9 bdellium bdellium (gum resin) NOM.SG.N
10 et and CONJ
11 lapis stone NOM.SG.M
12 onychinus onyx NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Et aurum terræ illius optimum est — “And the gold of that land is the best.”
Subject: aurum terræ illius — “the gold of that land.”
Predicate: optimum est — “is the best,” forming a copulative construction.
Main Clause 2: ibi invenitur bdellium, et lapis onychinus — “there is found bdellium and the onyx stone.”
Adverb: ibi — “there,” referring to the same land.
Passive Verb: invenitur — “is found,” describing the natural resources present.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects the verse to the preceding sentence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the descriptive sequence about the land of Hevilath.
  2. aurum — Lemma: aurum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “gold”; Notes: Central subject describing natural wealth.
  3. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying aurum; Translation: “of the land”; Notes: Specifies the source of the gold.
  4. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Modifier of terræ; Translation: “of that”; Notes: Refers anaphorically to the land of Hevilath.
  5. optimum — Lemma: optimus; Part of Speech: Adjective (superlative); Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective agreeing with aurum; Translation: “best”; Notes: Superlative degree expressing exceptional quality.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate adjective.
  7. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: —; Function: Locative adverb; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to location within the described land.
  8. invenitur — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “is found”; Notes: Passive form expressing existence or discovery of materials.
  9. bdellium — Lemma: bdellium; Part of Speech: Noun (Greek loanword); Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of invenitur; Translation: “bdellium (gum resin)”; Notes: A valuable aromatic resin, possibly gum from Arabian or Indian trees.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Connects coordinated subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins two precious materials found in the same land.
  11. lapis — Lemma: lapis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject coordinated with bdellium; Translation: “stone”; Notes: Refers to a precious gemstone.
  12. onychinus — Lemma: onychinus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Modifies lapis; Translation: “onyx”; Notes: Describes the type of stone; “onyx stone” known for its layered appearance.

 

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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