Genesis 2:20

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:20 Appellavitque Adam nominibus suis cuncta animantia, et universa volatilia cæli, et omnes bestias terræ: Adæ vero non inveniebatur adiutor similis eius.

And Adam called all the living creatures by their own names, and every bird of the sky, and all the beasts of the earth; but for Adam there was not found a helper similar to him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Appellavitque and called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + CONJ
2 Adam Adam NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
3 nominibus by names ABL.PL.N
4 suis his own / their own ABL.PL.N.POSS.ADJ
5 cuncta all ACC.PL.N
6 animantia living creatures ACC.PL.N
7 et and CONJ
8 universa all ACC.PL.N
9 volatilia birds ACC.PL.N
10 cæli of the sky / heaven GEN.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 omnes all ACC.PL.F
13 bestias beasts ACC.PL.F
14 terræ of the earth GEN.SG.F
15 Adæ to Adam / for Adam DAT.SG.M
16 vero but / however ADV
17 non not NEG.PART
18 inveniebatur was found 3SG.IMPERF.PASS.IND
19 adiutor helper NOM.SG.M
20 similis similar NOM.SG.M
21 eius to him / his GEN.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause: Appellavitque Adam nominibus suis cuncta animantia — “And Adam called all the living creatures by their own names.”
Coordinated Clauses: et universa volatilia cæli, et omnes bestias terræ — Adds completeness: “and every bird of the sky, and all the beasts of the earth.”
Adversative Clause: Adæ vero non inveniebatur adiutor similis eius — “but for Adam there was not found a helper similar to him.”
The verb inveniebatur is imperfect passive, describing continuous absence. The clause contrasts Adam’s naming authority with his ongoing solitude.

Morphology

  1. Appellavitque — Lemma: appello; Part of Speech: Verb with enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular + enclitic -que; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and called”; Notes: Connects to previous verse; expresses completion of the naming action.
  2. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Adam”; Notes: Agent of the naming process.
  3. nominibus — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural neuter; Function: Instrumental ablative; Translation: “by names”; Notes: Indicates the means of designation.
  4. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive adjective; Form: Ablative plural neuter; Function: Modifies nominibus; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Reflects proper correspondence between creature and name.
  5. cuncta — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of Appellavit; Translation: “all”; Notes: Collective term for the totality of creatures.
  6. animantia — Lemma: animans; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object; Translation: “living creatures”; Notes: Broad category including land and air creatures.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins coordinate clauses.
  8. universa — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective used substantively; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of Appellavit; Translation: “all”; Notes: Stresses total inclusion.
  9. volatilia — Lemma: volatilis; Part of Speech: Noun (adj. used substantively); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object; Translation: “birds”; Notes: Corresponds to creatures of the air.
  10. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of the sky”; Notes: Specifies habitat of the volatilia.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinate link; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the enumeration.
  12. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Modifies bestias; Translation: “all”; Notes: Emphasizes inclusiveness of terrestrial animals.
  13. bestias — Lemma: bestia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Object; Translation: “beasts”; Notes: Refers to non-domesticated land animals.
  14. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Dependent genitive; Translation: “of the earth”; Notes: Completes scope of living creation.
  15. Adæ — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “for Adam”; Notes: Introduces contrastive clause.
  16. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adversative particle; Translation: “but / however”; Notes: Introduces contrast with previous action.
  17. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Particle; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Negation; Translation: “not”; Notes: Negates the verb inveniebatur.
  18. inveniebatur — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect passive indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was found”; Notes: Describes ongoing absence rather than a single event.
  19. adiutor — Lemma: adiutor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of inveniebatur; Translation: “helper”; Notes: Person suitable to aid and complement Adam.
  20. similis — Lemma: similis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “similar”; Notes: Indicates correspondence in nature and dignity.
  21. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of comparison or possession; Translation: “to him / his”; Notes: Refers reflexively to Adam, the one lacking a counterpart.

 

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.