Genesis 3:9

Posted on January 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 3:9 Vocavitque Dominus Deus Adam, et dixit ei: Ubi es?

And the LORD God called to Adam, and said to him: “Where are you?”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vocavitque and called 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+QUE
2 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
3 Deus God NOM.SG.M
4 Adam Adam ACC.SG.M
5 et and CONJ
6 dixit said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 ei to him DAT.SG.M.PRON
8 Ubi where INTERROG.ADV
9 es are (you) 2SG.PRES.ACT.IND

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Vocavitque Dominus Deus Adam — “And the LORD God called to Adam.”
The enclitic -que connects this act to the previous verse. Dominus Deus is the compound subject (YHWH God), with Adam as the direct object.
Main Clause 2: et dixit ei — “and said to him.” The dative pronoun ei marks the indirect object (the addressee).
Direct Speech: Ubi es? — “Where are you?” is a direct question expressing divine inquiry and moral confrontation rather than ignorance.

Morphology

  1. Vocavitque — Lemma: voco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular (with enclitic -que); Function: Main verb; Translation: “and called”; Notes: The enclitic -que links this action with the preceding narrative; expresses the divine call to confrontation.
  2. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH; capitalized accordingly.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Dominus; Translation: “God”; Notes: Completes the compound divine title “LORD God.”
  4. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of vocavit; Translation: “Adam”; Notes: The human addressed by divine speech.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Connects two sequential actions (vocavit and dixit); Translation: “and”; Notes: Narrative coordination; signals continuation of divine dialogue.
  6. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative 3rd singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “said”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse with ei as indirect object.
  7. ei — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to him”; Notes: Refers to Adam, recipient of divine address.
  8. Ubi — Lemma: ubi; Part of Speech: Interrogative adverb; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Introduces question; Translation: “where”; Notes: Expresses inquiry concerning location; in context, moral exposure.
  9. es — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative 2nd singular; Function: Verb of direct question; Translation: “are (you)”; Notes: Simple present; expresses existential and relational absence before God.

 

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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