Genesis 4:16

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:16 Egressusque Cain a facie Domini, habitavit profugus in terra ad orientalem plagam Eden.

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and lived as a fugitive in the land to the east of Eden.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Egressusque and went out PPP.NOM.SG.M + ENCLITIC.CONJ
2 Cain Cain NOM.SG.M
3 a from PREP+ABL
4 facie face / presence ABL.SG.F
5 Domini of the LORD GEN.SG.M
6 habitavit lived / dwelt 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 profugus as a fugitive NOM.SG.M.ADJ
8 in in / within PREP+ABL
9 terra land / earth ABL.SG.F
10 ad toward / to PREP+ACC
11 orientalem eastern ACC.SG.F.ADJ
12 plagam region / quarter ACC.SG.F
13 Eden Eden GEN.SG.INDECL

Syntax

Introductory Clause: Egressusque Cain a facie Domini — Egressus (perfect participle) with implied auxiliary est functions as a finite verb (“went out”), joined by -que to prior narrative; Cain is the subject; a facie Domini denotes separation from the divine presence.
Main Clause: habitavit profugus in terra ad orientalem plagam Eden — habitavit serves as the main verb; profugus acts as predicate nominative describing Cain’s status; in terra indicates location; ad orientalem plagam Eden specifies direction and region (“toward the eastern side of Eden”).

Morphology

  1. Egressusque — Lemma: egredior + que; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent) + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect participle, nominative singular masculine; Function: Main verb with implied auxiliary; Translation: “and went out”; Notes: Deponent participle conveys active meaning; -que links continuation of the story.
  2. Cain — Lemma: Cain; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of both egressus and habitavit; Translation: “Cain”; Notes: Central figure of the narrative, bearing the mark of exile.
  3. a — Lemma: a / ab; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates separation; Translation: “from”; Notes: Marks departure from divine presence.
  4. facie — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of a; Translation: “face / presence”; Notes: Figurative for the presence of YHWH.
  5. Domini — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying facie; Translation: “of the LORD”; Notes: Indicates divine relational source.
  6. habitavit — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived / dwelt”; Notes: Expresses settled condition after exile.
  7. profugus — Lemma: profugus; Part of Speech: Adjective (used substantively); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “as a fugitive”; Notes: Denotes outcast status in fulfillment of divine sentence.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Locative; Translation: “in / within”; Notes: Indicates spatial placement.
  9. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “land”; Notes: Physical locale of Cain’s exile.
  10. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Directional preposition; Translation: “toward / to”; Notes: Indicates spatial orientation.
  11. orientalem — Lemma: orientalis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies plagam; Translation: “eastern”; Notes: Refers to direction of exile relative to Eden.
  12. plagam — Lemma: plaga; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “region / quarter”; Notes: Geographic term for side or area.
  13. Eden — Lemma: Eden; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable Hebrew name); Form: Genitive (indeclinable); Function: Possessive modifier of plagam; Translation: “of Eden”; Notes: The region eastward from the primordial garden, denoting loss of paradise.

 

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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