Genesis 2:18

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:18 Dixit quoque Dominus Deus: Non est bonum esse hominem solum: faciamus ei adiutorium simile sibi.

And the LORD God also said: It is not good that the man should be alone; let Us make for him a helper similar to himself.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also / likewise ADV
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 Deus God NOM.SG.M
5 Non not NEG.PART
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 bonum good NOM.SG.N
8 esse to be PRES.ACT.INF
9 hominem man ACC.SG.M
10 solum alone ACC.SG.M.ADJ
11 faciamus let us make 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
12 ei for him DAT.SG.M.PRON
13 adiutorium helper / aid ACC.SG.N
14 simile similar / like ACC.SG.N
15 sibi to himself DAT.SG.M.REFL.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Dixit quoque Dominus Deus — “And the LORD God also said.”
Subject: Dominus Deus — the LORD God (YHWH Elohim).
Verb: Dixit — perfect indicative expressing divine speech.
Indirect Statement: Non est bonum esse hominem solum — “It is not good that the man should be alone.”
Predicate: Non est bonum — impersonal expression of evaluation.
Complement Infinitive: esse hominem solum — “for the man to be alone.”
Purpose Clause: faciamus ei adiutorium simile sibi — “Let Us make for him a helper similar to himself.”
The verb faciamus is a first-person plural subjunctive expressing divine deliberation, echoing the plural form of Genesis 1:26.

Morphology

  1. Dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Marks divine declaration introducing a new creative act.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds emphasis or continuity; Translation: “also / likewise”; Notes: Links this statement with prior divine actions.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, hence rendered “LORD.”
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Identifies the divine subject more fully as YHWH Elohim.
  5. Non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Negative particle; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negates predicate; Translation: “not”; Notes: Introduces divine disapproval of man’s solitude.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Copulative verb; Translation: “is”; Notes: Forms predicate of evaluation.
  7. bonum — Lemma: bonum; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “good”; Notes: Denotes quality or moral goodness.
  8. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Infinitive); Form: Present active infinitive; Function: Complement infinitive; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Forms part of the indirect statement.
  9. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Subject accusative of infinitive esse; Translation: “man”; Notes: Accusative used with infinitive clause.
  10. solum — Lemma: solus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective modifying hominem; Translation: “alone”; Notes: Highlights condition of isolation.
  11. faciamus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active subjunctive 1st plural; Function: Main verb in jussive/purpose clause; Translation: “let us make”; Notes: Expresses divine deliberation (plural of majesty).
  12. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of faciamus; Translation: “for him”; Notes: Refers to Adam, the recipient of divine provision.
  13. adiutorium — Lemma: adiutorium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of faciamus; Translation: “helper / aid”; Notes: Refers to an equal counterpart, not a subordinate.
  14. simile — Lemma: similis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective modifying adiutorium; Translation: “similar / like”; Notes: Indicates correspondence in nature and dignity.
  15. sibi — Lemma: sui; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Dative of relation; Translation: “to himself”; Notes: Refers reflexively to hominem, showing likeness.

 

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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