Genesis 5:19

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:19 Et vixit Iared, postquam genuit Henoch, octingentis annis, et genuit filios et filias.

And Jared lived after he begot Henoch eight hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 Iared Jared NOM.SG.M (INDECL)
4 postquam after CONJ.SUBORD
5 genuit he begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
6 Henoch Henoch ACC.SG.M (INDECL)
7 octingentis eight hundred ABL.PL.M.NUM
8 annis years ABL.PL.M
9 et and CONJ
10 genuit he begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 filios sons ACC.PL.M
12 et and CONJ
13 filias daughters ACC.PL.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Et vixit Iared, postquam genuit Henoch, octingentis annis — The conjunction et connects this clause to the previous genealogical statement. The subject Iared governs the verb vixit (“lived”), while the subordinate clause postquam genuit Henoch (“after he begot Henoch”) defines the temporal starting point of the duration, and octingentis annis (“for eight hundred years”) expresses the period of life.
Main Clause 2: et genuit filios et filias — The conjunction et joins a parallel statement typical of genealogical formulae. The verb genuit (“he begot”) governs the direct objects filios (“sons”) and filias (“daughters”).

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Links this genealogical verse to the preceding one; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks narrative continuation in Hebrew-style parataxis, typical of Vulgate syntax.
  2. vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: The perfect tense in biblical Latin denotes a completed period of life.
  3. Iared — Lemma: Iared; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of vixit; Translation: “Jared”; Notes: From Hebrew יָרֶד (Yared), transliterated directly and undeclined in Latin.
  4. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Subordinating; Function: Introduces a temporal clause; Translation: “after”; Notes: Governs the perfect indicative in classical and biblical Latin to denote a completed prior action.
  5. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Used formulaically throughout Genesis to denote paternity in genealogical lineage.
  6. Henoch — Lemma: Henoch; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable); Form: Accusative singular masculine (by syntax); Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Henoch”; Notes: The Latinized name corresponds to Hebrew חֲנוֹךְ (Ḥanokh), carried over from the Septuagint’s Ἑνὼχ.
  7. octingentis — Lemma: octingenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Modifies annis; Translation: “eight hundred”; Notes: Used with the ablative to express time duration.
  8. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: Expresses the total time span during which Iared lived after begetting Henoch.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects the second independent clause; Translation: “and”; Notes: Reflects the typical narrative rhythm in the genealogy formula (“and he begot…”).
  10. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of the second clause; Translation: “he begot”; Notes: Repetition reinforces genealogical continuity in Semitic narrative style.
  11. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Direct object; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Standard plural of masculine second-declension noun; denotes male offspring collectively.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Joins coordinated objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Connects the two objects filios and filias in asyndetic parallelism.
  13. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural feminine; Function: Second coordinated object; Translation: “daughters”; Notes: Completes the idiomatic expression “sons and daughters,” common to biblical genealogies in both Hebrew and Latin traditions.

 

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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