Genesis 5:1

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:1 Hic est liber generationis Adam. In die, qua creavit Deus hominem, ad similitudinem Dei fecit illum.

This is the book of the generations of Adam. On the day in which God created man, in the likeness of God He made him.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hic this PRON.DEMON.NOM.SG.M
2 est is VERB.3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 liber book NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 generationis of generations NOUN.GEN.SG.F
5 Adam Adam PROPN.GEN.SG.M
6 In in/on PREP+ABL
7 die day NOUN.ABL.SG.M
8 qua in which REL.PRON.ABL.SG.F
9 creavit created VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
10 Deus God PROPN.NOM.SG.M
11 hominem man NOUN.ACC.SG.M
12 ad to/for PREP+ACC
13 similitudinem likeness NOUN.ACC.SG.F
14 Dei of God PROPN.GEN.SG.M
15 fecit made VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
16 illum him PRON.DEMON.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

In the main clause Hic … est liber, Hic functions as the demonstrative subject, est is the linking verb, and liber is the predicate nominative modified by the genitive phrase generationis Adam (“book of the generations of Adam”).
In the subordinate temporal-relative clause In die, qua creavit Deus hominem, ad similitudinem Dei fecit illum, In die is a temporal prepositional phrase; qua (ablative singular feminine) relates back to die (“on the day in which”). Within the clause, creavit Deus hominem presents the verb with Deus as subject and hominem as direct object; ad similitudinem Dei is a prepositional phrase of purpose/standard; finally, fecit illum adds a coordinated verbal idea with illum as direct object.

Morphology

  1. Hic — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “est”; Translation: this; Notes: Deictic pointer identifying the document.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: linking verb; Translation: is; Notes: Equates subject with predicate nominative.
  3. liber — Lemma: liber; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: book; Notes: Title-like head of the statement.
  4. generationis — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of content modifying “liber”; Translation: of generations; Notes: Denotes genealogical register.
  5. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine (indeclinable form in Vulgate usage); Function: complements “generationis”; Translation: of Adam; Notes: Specifies the lineage subject.
  6. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: introduces temporal phrase; Translation: in/on; Notes: Sets the time frame.
  7. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: day; Notes: “on the day (when)”.
  8. qua — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: agrees with “die,” introduces relative clause; Translation: in which; Notes: Ablative by attraction with “in die”.
  9. creavit — Lemma: creo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the relative clause; Translation: created; Notes: Completed past action.
  10. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “creavit”; Translation: God; Notes: Agent of creation.
  11. hominem — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “creavit”; Translation: man; Notes: Collective for humanity.
  12. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces phrase of purpose/standard; Translation: to/for; Notes: Points to intended likeness.
  13. similitudinem — Lemma: similitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: likeness; Notes: Measure/standard of the making.
  14. Dei — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “similitudinem”; Translation: of God; Notes: Specifies whose likeness.
  15. fecit — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: coordinated verb within the clause; Translation: made; Notes: Complements “creavit” and takes “illum” as object.
  16. illum — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “fecit”; Translation: him; Notes: Refers back to “hominem”.

 

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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