Genesis 2:6

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 2:6 Sed fons ascendebat e terra, irrigans universam superficiem terræ.

But a spring rose up from the earth, watering the whole surface of the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ
2 fons spring NOM.SG.M
3 ascendebat was rising / rose up 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.IND
4 e from PREP+ABL
5 terra earth ABL.SG.F
6 irrigans watering PRES.ACT.PART.NOM.SG.M
7 universam the whole ACC.SG.F
8 superficiem surface ACC.SG.F
9 terræ of the ground GEN.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause: Sed fons ascendebat e terra — “But a spring rose up from the earth”; the contrastive conjunction Sed connects this verse to the previous absence of rain.
Participial Phrase: irrigans universam superficiem terræ — modifies fons, describing its continual action of watering the land.
Subject: fons — the source of water.
Verb: ascendebat — imperfect tense expressing habitual or continuous past action.
Object Phrase: universam superficiem terræ — the entire area being irrigated, governed by the participle.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Coordinating; Function: Introduces contrast; Translation: “but”; Notes: Opposes the prior clause about lack of rain.
  2. fons — Lemma: fons; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of ascendebat; Translation: “spring”; Notes: Refers to underground water source emerging naturally.
  3. ascendebat — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “was rising / rose up”; Notes: Imperfect tense indicates continuous or habitual past action.
  4. e — Lemma: e (ex); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Marks origin or source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Variant of ex before consonants.
  5. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of e; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Indicates origin of the spring.
  6. irrigans — Lemma: irrigo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: Descriptive participle modifying fons; Translation: “watering”; Notes: Expresses concurrent action with ascendebat.
  7. universam — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies superficiem; Translation: “the whole”; Notes: Emphasizes completeness of irrigation.
  8. superficiem — Lemma: superficies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of participle irrigans; Translation: “surface”; Notes: Refers to the visible land area.
  9. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying superficiem; Translation: “of the ground”; Notes: Indicates what is being watered.

 

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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