Genesis 23:1

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 23:1 Vixit autem Sara centum vigintiseptem annis.

But Sara lived one hundred and twenty-seven years.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem but / moreover CONJ
3 Sara Sarah NOM.SG.F
4 centum one hundred INDECL.NUM
5 vigintiseptem twenty-seven INDECL.NUM
6 annis years ABL.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Vixit autem Sara centum vigintiseptem annis — straightforward declarative sentence. The verb Vixit (perfect indicative active) is the predicate, with Sara as the subject and centum vigintiseptem annis forming an ablative of time duration.
Conjunction: autem — connects the verse with the preceding narrative, serving as a mild transitional “now” or “but.”
Ablative Construction: The phrase centum vigintiseptem annis literally means “in one hundred twenty-seven years,” expressing the span of Sarah’s life.
Word Order: The verb-first order places emphasis on the life span rather than the person, which is typical in genealogical and chronological statements.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect indicative active third person singular; Function: main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Perfect tense summarizes the completed duration of Sarah’s life.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces transition or mild contrast; Translation: “but / moreover”; Notes: Common connective in narrative sequence.
  3. Sara — Lemma: Sara; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: nominative feminine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “Sarah”; Notes: Wife of Abraham; her death will follow in context.
  4. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies vigintiseptem; Translation: “one hundred”; Notes: Used as part of compound numeral.
  5. vigintiseptem — Lemma: vigintiseptem; Part of Speech: numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies annis; Translation: “twenty-seven”; Notes: Compound numeral expressing total years.
  6. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative masculine plural; Function: ablative of duration of time; Translation: “years”; Notes: Common idiom for expressing lifespan or time elapsed.

 

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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