Genesis 4:11

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:11 Nunc igitur maledictus eris super terram, quæ aperuit os suum, et suscepit sanguinem fratris tui de manu tua.

Now therefore you shall be cursed upon the earth, which has opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother from your hand.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Nunc now ADV
2 igitur therefore CONJ
3 maledictus cursed NOM.SG.M.PPP
4 eris you shall be 2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
5 super upon / over PREP+ACC
6 terram earth ACC.SG.F
7 quæ which NOM.SG.F.REL.PRON
8 aperuit has opened 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 os mouth ACC.SG.N
10 suum its ACC.SG.N.POSS
11 et and CONJ
12 suscepit has received 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 sanguinem blood ACC.SG.M
14 fratris of brother GEN.SG.M
15 tui your GEN.SG.M.POSS
16 de from PREP+ABL
17 manu hand ABL.SG.F
18 tua your ABL.SG.F.POSS

Syntax

Main Clause: Nunc igitur maledictus eris super terram — adverbial pair Nunc igitur introduces result and transition; maledictus (predicate participle) with eris forms a passive construction (“you shall be cursed”), and super terram marks domain of curse.
Relative Clause: quæ aperuit os suum et suscepit sanguinem fratris tui de manu tua — quæ refers to terram; compound predicate (aperuit and suscepit) describing the earth’s personified reaction to Abel’s blood, with de manu tua specifying the source of guilt.

Morphology

  1. Nunc — Lemma: nunc; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Temporal adverb; Translation: “now”; Notes: Marks moment of judgment after divine inquiry.
  2. igitur — Lemma: igitur; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Transitional particle; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Links moral cause to divine consequence.
  3. maledictus — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: Participle (verbal adjective); Form: Perfect passive participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate complement with eris; Translation: “cursed”; Notes: Expresses divinely imposed condition.
  4. eris — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future active indicative, 2nd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall be”; Notes: Future tense denotes lasting consequence.
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Locative or figurative; Translation: “upon / over”; Notes: Denotes dominion or sphere of curse.
  6. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of super; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Represents both soil and world under curse.
  7. quæ — Lemma: qui, quae, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “which”; Notes: Refers to terra.
  8. aperuit — Lemma: aperio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: First verb of relative clause; Translation: “has opened”; Notes: Personifies the earth as moral witness.
  9. os — Lemma: os, oris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of aperuit; Translation: “mouth”; Notes: Metaphor for receptivity to bloodshed.
  10. suum — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies os; Translation: “its”; Notes: Refers back to terra.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links coordinate predicates; Translation: “and”; Notes: Combines two divine observations.
  12. suscepit — Lemma: suscipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Second verb of relative clause; Translation: “has received”; Notes: Continues personification of the earth as agent.
  13. sanguinem — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of suscepit; Translation: “blood”; Notes: Abel’s blood as witness of injustice.
  14. fratris — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Dependent genitive modifying sanguinem; Translation: “of brother”; Notes: Specifies victim.
  15. tui — Lemma: tuus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies fratris; Translation: “your”; Notes: Reinforces moral ownership of crime.
  16. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin of the act or substance.
  17. manu — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “hand”; Notes: Instrumental in metaphorical sense.
  18. tua — Lemma: tuus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Modifies manu; Translation: “your”; Notes: Conveys personal culpability in the shedding of blood.

 

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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