Genesis 4:2

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:2 Rursumque peperit fratrem eius Abel. Fuit autem Abel pastor ovium, et Cain agricola.

And again she bore his brother Abel. But Abel was a shepherd of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Rursumque and again ADV+CONJ
2 peperit she bore 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 fratrem brother ACC.SG.M
4 eius his GEN.SG.M
5 Abel Abel ACC.SG.M
6 Fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
7 autem but CONJ
8 Abel Abel NOM.SG.M
9 pastor shepherd NOM.SG.M
10 ovium of sheep GEN.PL.F
11 et and CONJ
12 Cain Cain NOM.SG.M
13 agricola farmer NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Rursumque peperit fratrem eius Abel — “And again she bore his brother Abel”; the subject (Eve) is implied from the previous verse, with fratrem eius Abel functioning as the object phrase.
Main Clause 2: Fuit autem Abel pastor ovium — a copular clause identifying Abel’s occupation; Abel as subject, pastor ovium as predicate nominative with genitive complement.
Coordinated Clause: et Cain agricola — parallels the preceding predicate with ellipsis of fuit, creating balance and contrast.

Morphology

  1. Rursumque — Lemma: rursum + que; Part of Speech: Adverb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects and emphasizes repetition; Translation: “and again”; Notes: Que links to the prior narrative, showing continuation.
  2. peperit — Lemma: parere; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “she bore”; Notes: Expresses the completed action of childbirth.
  3. fratrem — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of peperit; Translation: “brother”; Notes: Specifies the relationship of the newborn to Cain.
  4. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive modifier of fratrem; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Cain.
  5. Abel — Lemma: Abel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine in apposition; Function: Identifies the brother; Translation: “Abel”; Notes: Proper name in apposition to fratrem.
  6. Fuit — Lemma: esse; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copular verb linking subject and predicate; Translation: “was”; Notes: Descriptive of state rather than action.
  7. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Contrastive connective; Translation: “but”; Notes: Introduces a contrasting statement about Abel.
  8. Abel — Lemma: Abel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Abel”; Notes: The grammatical subject of the second clause.
  9. pastor — Lemma: pastor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “shepherd”; Notes: Occupation assigned to Abel.
  10. ovium — Lemma: ovis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural feminine; Function: Genitive of possession; Translation: “of sheep”; Notes: Defines the type of flock under Abel’s care.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Coordinates the two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Abel’s and Cain’s descriptions.
  12. Cain — Lemma: Cain; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of the elliptical second predicate; Translation: “Cain”; Notes: Balanced with Abel in structure.
  13. agricola — Lemma: agricola; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (first declension); Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “farmer” or “tiller”; Notes: Describes Cain’s vocation; the verb fuit is understood.

 

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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