Genesis 2:2

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:2 Complevitque Deus die septimo opus suum quod fecerat: et requievit die septimo ab universo opere quod patrarat.

And God completed on the seventh day His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all the work which He had accomplished.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Complevitque and completed 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 Deus God NOM.SG.M
3 die on the day ABL.SG.M
4 septimo seventh ABL.SG.M
5 opus work ACC.SG.N
6 suum his ACC.SG.N
7 quod which REL.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
8 fecerat he had made 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
9 et and CONJ
10 requievit he rested 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 die on the day ABL.SG.M
12 septimo seventh ABL.SG.M
13 ab from PREP+ABL
14 universo all ABL.SG.N
15 opere work ABL.SG.N
16 quod which REL.PRON.NOM/ACC.SG.N
17 patrarat he had accomplished 3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Complevitque Deus die septimo opus suum — “And God completed on the seventh day His work”
Subject: Deus — the agent of the action
Verb: Complevit — perfect active, indicating a finished act
Object: opus suum — “His work,” direct object of Complevit
Temporal Phrase: die septimo — ablative of time when, “on the seventh day”
Relative Clause: quod fecerat — modifies opus suum, “which He had made”
Second Clause: et requievit die septimo ab universo opere quod patrarat — coordinated with the first clause by et (“and”); expresses subsequent rest after completion of work.

Morphology

  1. Complevitque — Lemma: compleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and completed”; Notes: The enclitic -que joins this clause with the preceding narrative, maintaining sequential flow.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of the verb; Translation: “God”; Notes: The agent performing the act of completion.
  3. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Ablative of time; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Marks the time when the action occurs.
  4. septimo — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifies die; Translation: “seventh”; Notes: Indicates sequence of days in the creation narrative.
  5. opus — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of Complevit; Translation: “work”; Notes: Refers to God’s creative activity.
  6. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies opus; Translation: “His”; Notes: Reflexive, agreeing with the subject Deus.
  7. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Introduces relative clause referring to opus; Translation: “which”; Notes: Neuter agrees with antecedent opus.
  8. fecerat — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb of the relative clause; Translation: “had made”; Notes: Expresses an action completed prior to the perfect action.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating conjunction; Function: Joins clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the narrative sequence.
  10. requievit — Lemma: quiesco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “rested”; Notes: Denotes cessation from labor, not fatigue.
  11. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Ablative of time; Translation: “on the day”; Notes: Repetition strengthens the temporal parallel with the previous clause.
  12. septimo — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Modifies die; Translation: “seventh”; Notes: Reinforces the sacredness of the seventh day.
  13. ab — Lemma: ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Introduces separation phrase; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks origin or point of cessation.
  14. universo — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Modifies opere; Translation: “all”; Notes: Signifies totality of divine activity.
  15. opere — Lemma: opus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of preposition ab; Translation: “work”; Notes: Expresses the sphere from which God rested.
  16. quod — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Introduces relative clause modifying opere; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to all divine operations previously mentioned.
  17. patrarat — Lemma: patro; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “had accomplished”; Notes: Emphasizes completion and fulfillment of divine work.

 

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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