Genesis 3:22

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:22 Et ait: Ecce Adam quasi unus ex nobis factus est, sciens bonum et malum: nunc ergo ne forte mittat manum suam, et sumat etiam de ligno vitæ, et comedat, et vivat in æternum.

And He said: “Behold, Adam has become as one of us, knowing good and evil; now therefore, lest he put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 ait said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Ecce behold INTERJ
4 Adam Adam NOM.SG.M
5 quasi as if / as ADV
6 unus one NOM.SG.M
7 ex of / from PREP+ABL
8 nobis us ABL.PL.PRON
9 factus made / become NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP
10 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
11 sciens knowing NOM.SG.M.PRES.PTCP
12 bonum good ACC.SG.N
13 et and CONJ
14 malum evil ACC.SG.N
15 nunc now ADV
16 ergo therefore ADV
17 ne lest CONJ
18 forte perhaps ADV
19 mittat he put forth 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
20 manum hand ACC.SG.F
21 suam his ACC.SG.F.POSS.ADJ
22 et and CONJ
23 sumat take 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
24 etiam also ADV
25 de from PREP+ABL
26 ligno tree ABL.SG.N
27 vitæ of life GEN.SG.F
28 et and CONJ
29 comedat eat 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
30 et and CONJ
31 vivat live 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
32 in in PREP+ACC
33 æternum forever ACC.SG.N

Syntax

Direct Speech: Ecce Adam quasi unus ex nobis factus est, sciens bonum et malum — “Behold, Adam has become as one of us, knowing good and evil.”
The interjection Ecce introduces divine speech emphasizing observation. The verb factus est (perfect passive of facio) with the predicate quasi unus ex nobis marks equality in knowledge, not divinity. The participle sciens functions adverbially, defining the nature of his new state.

Purpose / Preventive Clause: nunc ergo ne forte mittat manum suam, et sumat etiam de ligno vitæ, et comedat, et vivat in æternum — “now therefore, lest he put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.”
The conjunction ne forte introduces a clause of apprehension, expressing divine concern over potential immortality. The sequence of subjunctives (mittat, sumat, comedat, vivat) conveys potential or feared actions.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Links divine utterance to the preceding narrative; Translation: “and.”
  2. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Introduces direct speech; Translation: “said.”
  3. Ecce — Lemma: ecce; Part of Speech: Interjection; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Draws attention; Translation: “behold.”
  4. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Adam.”
  5. quasi — Lemma: quasi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces comparison; Translation: “as if / as.”
  6. unus — Lemma: unus; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “one.”
  7. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates origin or partitive; Translation: “of / from.”
  8. nobis — Lemma: nos; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative plural; Function: Object of ex; Translation: “us.”
  9. factus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “made / become.”
  10. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: “is / has been.”
  11. sciens — Lemma: scio; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: Descriptive modifier of Adam; Translation: “knowing.”
  12. bonum — Lemma: bonum; Part of Speech: Noun (substantivized adjective); Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of sciens; Translation: “good.”
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and.”
  14. malum — Lemma: malum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of sciens; Translation: “evil.”
  15. nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Temporal adverb; Translation: “now.”
  16. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Transitional marker; Translation: “therefore.”
  17. ne — Lemma: ne; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces negative purpose clause; Translation: “lest.”
  18. forte — Lemma: forte; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Adds nuance of uncertainty; Translation: “perhaps.”
  19. mittat — Lemma: mitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “he put forth.”
  20. manum — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “hand.”
  21. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Possessive modifier; Translation: “his.”
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordinates subsequent potential actions; Translation: “and.”
  23. sumat — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “take.”
  24. etiam — Lemma: etiam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Intensifies addition; Translation: “also.”
  25. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Source; Translation: “from.”
  26. ligno — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Object of de; Translation: “tree.”
  27. vitæ — Lemma: vita; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of life.”
  28. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and.”
  29. comedat — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd singular; Function: Verb of potential action; Translation: “eat.”
  30. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Sequential link; Translation: “and.”
  31. vivat — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active 3rd singular; Function: Final verb of clause; Translation: “live.”
  32. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates duration; Translation: “in.”
  33. æternum — Lemma: aeternum; Part of Speech: Noun (substantivized adjective); Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Accusative of duration; Translation: “forever”; Notes: Expresses the intended duration of life should man eat from the tree again — infinite continuance contrary to divine decree.

 

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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