Genesis 4:4

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 4:4 Abel quoque obtulit de primogenitis gregis sui, et de adipibus eorum: et respexit Dominus ad Abel, et ad munera eius.

Abel also offered from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions; and the LORD looked with favor upon Abel and upon his gifts.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Abel Abel NOM.SG.M
2 quoque also ADV
3 obtulit offered 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 de from PREP+ABL
5 primogenitis firstborn ABL.PL.N
6 gregis of the flock GEN.SG.M
7 sui his GEN.SG.M.POSS
8 et and CONJ
9 de from PREP+ABL
10 adipibus fat portions ABL.PL.M
11 eorum of them GEN.PL.M.PRON
12 et and CONJ
13 respexit looked upon 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
14 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
15 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
16 Abel Abel ACC.SG.M
17 et and CONJ
18 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
19 munera gifts ACC.PL.N
20 eius his GEN.SG.M.PRON

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Abel quoque obtulit de primogenitis gregis sui et de adipibus eorum — subject Abel + verb obtulit + prepositional phrases de primogenitis gregis sui and de adipibus eorum, expressing source and quality of the offering.
Main Clause 2: et respexit Dominus ad Abel et ad munera eius — subject Dominus + verb respexit + prepositional phrases indicating the objects of divine regard.
Coordination: et connects the two actions (Abel’s offering and the LORD’s acceptance), maintaining narrative sequence.

Morphology

  1. Abel — Lemma: Abel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of obtulit; Translation: “Abel”; Notes: The second son of Adam and Eve, offering the sacrifice.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Adds emphasis of inclusion; Translation: “also”; Notes: Coordinates with previous statement about Cain’s offering.
  3. obtulit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “offered”; Notes: Expresses completed ritual action.
  4. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates source or selection; Translation: “from”; Notes: Introduces the material offered.
  5. primogenitis — Lemma: primogenitus; Part of Speech: Noun/adjective; Form: Ablative plural neuter; Function: Object of de; Translation: “firstborn”; Notes: Refers to the choicest of Abel’s flock.
  6. gregis — Lemma: grex; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Genitive of possession; Translation: “of the flock”; Notes: Specifies the source of the firstborn animals.
  7. sui — Lemma: suus, -a, -um; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective/pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies gregis; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers back to Abel.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connective; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the second offering phrase.
  9. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates partitive origin; Translation: “from”; Notes: Same syntactic function as prior de.
  10. adipibus — Lemma: adeps; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “fat portions”; Notes: Symbol of abundance and quality of offering.
  11. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Possessive modifying adipibus; Translation: “of them”; Notes: Refers to the flock animals.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Begins new clause with divine response.
  13. respexit — Lemma: respicio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “looked with favor”; Notes: Indicates divine acceptance of offering.
  14. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of respexit; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH as recipient of sacrifices.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses direction or attention; Translation: “toward / upon”; Notes: Used idiomatically with respicere.
  16. Abel — Lemma: Abel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “Abel”; Notes: Marks the person favored by the LORD.
  17. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects Abel and munera eius; Translation: “and”; Notes: Indicates inclusion of both person and offering.
  18. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Repeated with second object; Translation: “toward / upon”; Notes: Parallel structure enhances rhythm.
  19. munera — Lemma: munus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of ad; Translation: “gifts”; Notes: Refers to the offerings presented by Abel.
  20. eius — Lemma: eius; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies munera; Translation: “his”; Notes: Points back to Abel, completing the phrase.

 

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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