Genesis 4:23

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:23 Dixitque Lamech uxoribus suis Adæ et Sellæ: Audite vocem meam uxores Lamech, auscultate sermonem meum: quoniam occidi virum in vulnus meum, et adolescentulum in livorem meum.

And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella: “Hear my voice, you wives of Lamech; listen to my speech: for I have slain a man for my wound, and a young man for my bruise.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Dixitque and said 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC.CONJ
2 Lamech Lamech NOM.SG.M (INDECL)
3 uxoribus to (his) wives DAT.PL.F
4 suis his DAT.PL.F.ADJ.POSS
5 Adæ Ada DAT.SG.F (INDECL)
6 et and CONJ
7 Sellæ Sella DAT.SG.F (INDECL)
8 Audite hear 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
9 vocem voice ACC.SG.F
10 meam my ACC.SG.F.ADJ.POSS
11 uxores wives VOC.PL.F
12 Lamech Lamech VOC.SG.M (INDECL)
13 auscultate listen 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
14 sermonem speech ACC.SG.M
15 meum my ACC.SG.M.ADJ.POSS
16 quoniam for / because CONJ.SUBORD
17 occidi I have slain 1SG.PERF.ACT.IND
18 virum a man ACC.SG.M
19 in for / on account of PREP + ACC
20 vulnus wound ACC.SG.N
21 meum my ACC.SG.N.ADJ.POSS
22 et and CONJ
23 adolescentulum a young man ACC.SG.M
24 in for / because of PREP + ACC
25 livorem bruise ACC.SG.M
26 meum my ACC.SG.M.ADJ.POSS

Syntax

Opening Clause: Dixitque Lamech uxoribus suis Adæ et Sellæ — The perfect verb Dixitque (“and said”) unites narration with preceding context via the enclitic -que. The subject Lamech addresses his wives, expressed as uxoribus suis with explicit appositions Adæ et Sellæ.
Direct Speech: Audite vocem meam uxores Lamech, auscultate sermonem meum — Two imperatives issue commands to his wives. Vocative address emphasizes intensity and repetition.
Causal Clause: quoniam occidi virum in vulnus meum, et adolescentulum in livorem meum — The conjunction quoniam introduces the cause: Lamech confesses or declares vengeance. Each prepositional phrase expresses the cause (“for my wound… for my bruise”).

Morphology

  1. Dixitque — Lemma: dico + -que; Part of Speech: Verb + enclitic conjunction; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb introducing direct speech; Translation: “and said”; Notes: The enclitic -que connects this statement to the genealogical narrative, typical of paratactic Latin style.
  2. Lamech — Lemma: Lamech; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine (indeclinable); Function: Subject of Dixitque; Translation: “Lamech”; Notes: Retains its Semitic form from Hebrew לֶמֶךְ (Lemeḵ), functioning indeclinably in Latin.
  3. uxoribus — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural feminine; Function: Indirect object of dixit; Translation: “to (his) wives”; Notes: Indicates the addressees of Lamech’s speech.
  4. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural feminine; Function: Modifies uxoribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive possessive referring to Lamech himself.
  5. Adæ — Lemma: Ada; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Apposition to uxoribus; Translation: “to Ada”; Notes: One of Lamech’s wives, presented in direct address.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links Adæ and Sellæ; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinating conjunction joining two proper nouns.
  7. Sellæ — Lemma: Sella; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Dative singular feminine; Function: Second apposition to uxoribus; Translation: “to Sella”; Notes: Represents the second wife addressed in Lamech’s speech.
  8. Audite — Lemma: audio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “hear”; Notes: Imperative directly addresses multiple persons (Lamech’s wives).
  9. vocem — Lemma: vox; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of Audite; Translation: “voice”; Notes: Metonymy for “message” or “call.”
  10. meam — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Modifies vocem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Agrees with vocem in gender, number, and case.
  11. uxores — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Vocative plural feminine; Function: Address; Translation: “wives”; Notes: Vocative form identical to nominative in first declension plural.
  12. Lamech — Lemma: Lamech; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Vocative singular masculine; Function: Appositive to uxores; Translation: “wives of Lamech”; Notes: Provides identification of speaker’s relationship to audience.
  13. auscultate — Lemma: ausculto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present active imperative, 2nd person plural; Function: Parallel command; Translation: “listen”; Notes: Synonym of Audite, heightening poetic parallelism.
  14. sermonem — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of auscultate; Translation: “speech”; Notes: Refers to Lamech’s discourse, distinct from vox in tone and emphasis.
  15. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies sermonem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Agrees grammatically with sermonem.
  16. quoniam — Lemma: quoniam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Subordinating; Function: Introduces causal clause; Translation: “for / because”; Notes: Frequently used to provide motive or justification in biblical Latin.
  17. occidi — Lemma: occido; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 1st person singular; Function: Main verb of causal clause; Translation: “I have slain”; Notes: Perfect tense marks completed action, expressing boast or confession.
  18. virum — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of occidi; Translation: “a man”; Notes: Generic term for an adult male, possibly meaning adversary.
  19. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses cause or retribution; Translation: “for / on account of”; Notes: In Latin, in + acc. often conveys the sense of “because of.”
  20. vulnus — Lemma: vulnus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of in; Translation: “wound”; Notes: Symbolic of injury or grievance prompting retaliation.
  21. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies vulnus; Translation: “my”; Notes: Personalizes the cause of violence.
  22. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links two coordinate phrases; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins the second object clause to the first.
  23. adolescentulum — Lemma: adolescentulus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of implied occidi; Translation: “a young man”; Notes: Diminutive nuance suggests youth or vulnerability of the slain.
  24. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates causal relationship; Translation: “for / because of”; Notes: Parallels previous in vulnus meum.
  25. livorem — Lemma: livor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “bruise”; Notes: Denotes discoloration or injury, possibly metaphorical for insult.
  26. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies livorem; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reinforces Lamech’s personal justification and repetition of possessive parallelism.

 

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.