Genesis 4:13

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:13 Dixitque Cain ad Dominum: Maior est iniquitas mea, quam ut veniam merear.

And Cain said to the LORD: “My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC.CONJ
2 Cain Cain NOM.SG.M
3 ad to PREP+ACC
4 Dominum the LORD ACC.SG.M
5 Maior greater NOM.SG.F.COMP
6 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
7 iniquitas iniquity NOM.SG.F
8 mea my NOM.SG.F.POSS
9 quam than CONJ.COMP
10 ut that / so that CONJ.SUBJ
11 veniam pardon / forgiveness ACC.SG.F
12 merear I may deserve 1SG.PRES.SUBJ.DEP

Syntax

Main Clause: Dixitque Cain ad Dominum — Dixit is the main verb, Cain the nominative subject, and ad Dominum the prepositional phrase marking the addressee (“to the LORD”).
Indirect Discourse: Maior est iniquitas mea — predicate adjective Maior (“greater”) governs iniquitas mea as subject phrase; expresses excessive guilt.
Comparative Clause: quam ut veniam merear — quam introduces a comparison of degree, leading to a consecutive clause with ut and the subjunctive merear (“that I may deserve pardon”). The clause expresses impossibility or excess, translating literally “greater than that I may deserve forgiveness.”

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + que; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “and said”; Notes: Connects to previous divine speech sequence.
  2. Cain — Lemma: Cain; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of Dixit; Translation: “Cain”; Notes: Speaker responding to divine judgment.
  3. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Introduces recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Marks addressee of speech.
  4. Dominum — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as addressed by Cain.
  5. Maior — Lemma: magnus; Part of Speech: Adjective (comparative); Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “greater”; Notes: Modifies iniquitas in a comparative statement.
  6. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copula linking Maior and iniquitas; Translation: “is”; Notes: Establishes state of being.
  7. iniquitas — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “iniquity”; Notes: Represents moral guilt or sinfulness.
  8. mea — Lemma: meus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies iniquitas; Translation: “my”; Notes: Personal ownership of sin.
  9. quam — Lemma: quam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Comparative conjunction; Function: Introduces comparative clause; Translation: “than”; Notes: Sets up a measure of degree comparison.
  10. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces consecutive clause with subjunctive verb; Translation: “that / so that”; Notes: Expresses result exceeding possible measure.
  11. veniam — Lemma: venia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of merear; Translation: “pardon / forgiveness”; Notes: The mercy Cain feels unworthy to obtain.
  12. merear — Lemma: mereor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent); Form: Present subjunctive, 1st person singular; Function: Verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “I may deserve”; Notes: Subjunctive governed by ut expressing potential or unattainable condition.

 

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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