Genesis 4:21

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:21 Et nomen fratris eius Iubal: ipse fuit pater canentium cithara et organo.

And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those playing the harp and the organ.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 nomen name NOM.SG.N
3 fratris of (his) brother GEN.SG.M
4 eius his GEN.SG.PRON
5 Iubal Jubal NOM.SG.M (INDECL)
6 ipse he himself NOM.SG.M.PRON
7 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 pater father NOM.SG.M
9 canentium of those playing GEN.PL.PRES.ACT.PART
10 cithara harp ABL.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 organo organ / pipe instrument ABL.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Et nomen fratris eius Iubal — A nominal clause where nomen (“name”) is the subject, Iubal is the predicate nominative, and fratris eius forms a genitive of possession (“of his brother”). The verb “erat” (“was”) is understood.
Main Clause 2: ipse fuit pater canentium cithara et organo — ipse is an intensive pronoun emphasizing subject identity; fuit is the copula; pater functions as predicate nominative; canentium governs the genitives with instrumental ablatives cithara and organo, indicating the instruments used by his descendants.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects to previous genealogical statement; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks continuation in narrative genealogy.
  2. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of an implied copula (“erat”); Translation: “name”; Notes: Serves as subject for nominal clause identifying Iubal.
  3. fratris — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of (his) brother”; Notes: Refers back to Iabel, previously named.
  4. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive singular; Function: Modifies fratris; Translation: “his”; Notes: Possessive pronoun not reflexive (refers to Jabal).
  5. Iubal — Lemma: Iubal; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “Jubal”; Notes: Treated as indeclinable Hebrew name.
  6. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Intensive pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “he himself”; Notes: Adds emphasis to Iubal as founder of music-making.
  7. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Copula linking ipse and pater; Translation: “was”; Notes: Describes permanent status.
  8. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “father”; Notes: Metaphorical for founder or originator.
  9. canentium — Lemma: cano; Part of Speech: Participle (verbal adjective); Form: Genitive plural present active participle; Function: Genitive dependent on pater; Translation: “of those playing / of musicians”; Notes: Refers to those who perform music.
  10. cithara — Lemma: cithara; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “with the harp”; Notes: Classical string instrument.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects two ablative phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins instruments listed as means of playing.
  12. organo — Lemma: organum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “with the organ / pipe instrument”; Notes: Refers to early wind or reed instrument, not modern organ.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.