Genesis 3:6

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:6 Vidit igitur mulier quod bonum esset lignum ad vescendum, et pulchrum oculis, aspectuque delectabile: et tulit de fructu illius, et comedit: deditque viro suo, qui comedit.

Then the woman saw that the tree was good for eating, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to look upon: and she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband, who ate.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vidit saw 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 igitur therefore / then ADV
3 mulier woman NOM.SG.F
4 quod that CONJ
5 bonum good NOM.SG.N
6 esset was 3SG.IMPERF.ACT.SUBJ
7 lignum tree NOM.SG.N
8 ad for / to PREP+GERUND.ACC
9 vescendum eating GERUND.ACC.SG.N
10 et and CONJ
11 pulchrum beautiful NOM.SG.N
12 oculis to the eyes DAT.PL.M
13 aspectuque and to the sight ABL.SG.M+QUE
14 delectabile delightful NOM.SG.N
15 et and CONJ
16 tulit took 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
17 de of / from PREP+ABL
18 fructu fruit ABL.SG.M
19 illius of it / its GEN.SG.M/NEUT.DEMON.PRON
20 et and CONJ
21 comedit ate 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
22 deditque and gave 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+QUE
23 viro to the man / husband DAT.SG.M
24 suo her / his own DAT.SG.M.POSS.ADJ
25 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
26 comedit ate 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause: Vidit igitur mulier quod bonum esset lignum ad vescendum — “Then the woman saw that the tree was good for eating.”
The conjunction igitur links this to the serpent’s prior temptation. The clause quod bonum esset lignum functions as the object of vidit, containing a subjunctive verb (esset) in indirect discourse.
Coordinated Descriptions: et pulchrum oculis, aspectuque delectabile — “and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to look upon.” Both participial phrases expand Eve’s sensory perception of the tree.
Sequential Actions: et tulit de fructu illius, et comedit — “and she took of its fruit and ate.”
Resulting Action: deditque viro suo, qui comedit — “and she gave to her husband, who ate.” The relative clause qui comedit highlights Adam’s participation as consequence of Eve’s act.

Morphology

  1. Vidit — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “saw”; Notes: Marks perception leading to action.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Logical connector; Translation: “then / therefore”; Notes: Introduces consequence of prior temptation.
  3. mulier — Lemma: mulier; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject; Translation: “woman”; Notes: Eve as the acting agent.
  4. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces object clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Introduces indirect statement following vidit.
  5. bonum — Lemma: bonus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “good”; Notes: Evaluative term; moral and aesthetic quality combined.
  6. esset — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect active subjunctive 3rd singular; Function: Verb of indirect statement; Translation: “was”; Notes: Subjunctive in indirect discourse after verb of perception.
  7. lignum — Lemma: lignum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of esset; Translation: “tree”; Notes: Central object of temptation.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Purpose; Translation: “for / to”; Notes: Introduces gerundive phrase of purpose.
  9. vescendum — Lemma: vescor; Part of Speech: Gerund; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Purpose; Translation: “eating”; Notes: Expresses purpose of suitability for consumption.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins parallel descriptive elements.
  11. pulchrum — Lemma: pulcher; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “beautiful”; Notes: Refers to visual appeal of the tree.
  12. oculis — Lemma: oculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Dative of reference; Translation: “to the eyes”; Notes: Indicates sensory target of beauty.
  13. aspectuque — Lemma: aspectus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine (with enclitic -que); Function: Ablative of respect; Translation: “and to the sight”; Notes: The -que links to the preceding pulchrum.
  14. delectabile — Lemma: delectabilis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “delightful”; Notes: Reinforces emotional and sensory attraction.
  15. tulit — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “took”; Notes: Marks decisive act of transgression.
  16. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Source; Translation: “from / of”; Notes: Indicates separation from the object.
  17. fructu — Lemma: fructus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “fruit”; Notes: Refers to forbidden produce.
  18. illius — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine/neuter; Function: Possessive; Translation: “of it / its”; Notes: Refers to the tree of knowledge.
  19. comedit — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “ate”; Notes: Culminating act of disobedience.
  20. deditque — Lemma: do; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular (with enclitic -que); Function: Coordinated main verb; Translation: “and gave”; Notes: Enclitic -que connects closely with preceding verb.
  21. viro — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to her husband”; Notes: Identifies Adam as recipient.
  22. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Modifies viro; Translation: “her own”; Notes: Indicates intimate relationship of possession.
  23. qui — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to Adam, subject of the following comedit.
  24. comedit — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Verb of relative clause; Translation: “ate”; Notes: Repetition emphasizes shared transgression.

 

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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