Genesis 3:23

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:23 Et emisit eum Dominus Deus de paradiso voluptatis, ut operaretur terram de qua sumptus est.

And the LORD God sent him out of the garden of delight, that he might till the ground from which he was taken.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 emisit sent out 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 eum him ACC.SG.M.PRON
4 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
5 Deus God NOM.SG.M
6 de from PREP+ABL
7 paradiso garden ABL.SG.M
8 voluptatis of delight GEN.SG.F
9 ut that / in order that CONJ
10 operaretur might till / work 3SG.IMPF.SUBJ.DEP
11 terram earth / ground ACC.SG.F
12 de from PREP+ABL
13 qua which ABL.SG.F.REL.PRON
14 sumptus taken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PTCP
15 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Et emisit eum Dominus Deus de paradiso voluptatis — “And the LORD God sent him out of the garden of delight.”
The verb emisit governs the direct object eum. The subject Dominus Deus again represents YHWH Elohim acting judicially yet mercifully. The prepositional phrase de paradiso voluptatis specifies the place of expulsion, marking both loss and separation.

Purpose Clause: ut operaretur terram de qua sumptus est — “that he might till the ground from which he was taken.”
The conjunction ut introduces a purpose clause expressing divine intent. The verb operaretur (subjunctive, deponent) conveys continuous labor, while the relative clause de qua sumptus est identifies Adam’s earthly origin.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects this verse to the preceding divine decree; Translation: “and”; Notes: Continues the narrative of divine judgment.
  2. emisit — Lemma: emitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “sent out”; Notes: Indicates completed action of expulsion by divine authority.
  3. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of emisit; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers to Adam as the one expelled.
  4. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, emphasizing divine sovereignty.
  5. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Strengthens the identification of the acting subject as YHWH Elohim.
  6. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks the origin of removal.
  7. paradiso — Lemma: paradisus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “garden”; Notes: Refers to Eden as a place of delight and divine fellowship.
  8. voluptatis — Lemma: voluptas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying paradiso; Translation: “of delight”; Notes: Describes the garden’s character as a place of joy.
  9. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces purpose clause; Translation: “that / in order that”; Notes: Signals divine intention behind Adam’s expulsion.
  10. operaretur — Lemma: operor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Imperfect subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “might till / work”; Notes: Conveys the ongoing labor ordained for man.
  11. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of operaretur; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Represents both soil and world of human toil.
  12. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces relative clause expressing origin.
  13. qua — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Relative pronoun referring to terra; Translation: “which”; Notes: Connects to sumptus est (was taken).
  14. sumptus — Lemma: sumo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: Perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate complement; Translation: “taken”; Notes: Describes Adam’s origin from the dust.
  15. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Auxiliary in periphrastic perfect passive; Translation: “was”; Notes: Completes the sense “was taken.”

 

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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