Genesis 5:12

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:12 Vixit quoque Cainan septuaginta annis, et genuit Malaleel.

And Cainan also lived seventy years, and he begot Malaleel.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 quoque also ADV
3 Cainan Cainan PROPN.NOM.SG.M
4 septuaginta seventy NUM.INDECL
5 annis years NOUN.ABL.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Malaleel Malaleel PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The clause Vixit quoque Cainan septuaginta annis describes the duration of Cainan’s life before begetting Malaleel, where Cainan is the subject, vixit the main verb, and septuaginta annis an ablative of time how long (“for seventy years”).
The adverb quoque reinforces continuity with the genealogical sequence (“also”), showing that Cainan followed the same life pattern as his forefathers.
The coordinating clause et genuit Malaleel continues the narrative with genuit as the verb and Malaleel as the direct object, maintaining the genealogical formula.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: lived; Notes: indicates the span of Cainan’s life before fatherhood.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive adverb; Translation: also; Notes: stresses continuity in the genealogical narrative.
  3. Cainan — Lemma: Cainan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vixit” and “genuit”; Translation: Cainan; Notes: descendant of Enos, continuing the lineage from Seth.
  4. septuaginta — Lemma: septuaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: seventy; Notes: expresses duration of years prior to fatherhood.
  5. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time how long; Translation: years; Notes: expresses the length of time lived before begetting Malaleel.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins two main clauses; Translation: and; Notes: continues the genealogical flow.
  7. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the second clause; Translation: begot; Notes: indicates the act of fathering the next patriarch.
  8. Malaleel — Lemma: Malaleel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: Malaleel; Notes: name of Cainan’s son, continuing the genealogical sequence.

 

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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