Genesis 5:21

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:21 Porro Henoch vixit sexaginta quinque annis, et genuit Mathusalam.

Now Henoch lived sixty-five years, and he begot Mathusalam.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Porro now / furthermore ADV
2 Henoch Henoch NOM.SG.M (INDECL)
3 vixit lived 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 sexaginta sixty NUM.INDECL
5 quinque five NUM.INDECL
6 annis years ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 genuit he begot 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 Mathusalam Mathusalam ACC.SG.M (INDECL)

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Porro Henoch vixit sexaginta quinque annis — The adverb Porro marks transition in the genealogy. The subject Henoch governs the verb vixit (“lived”), while sexaginta quinque annis expresses duration through an ablative of time.
Main Clause 2: et genuit Mathusalam — The conjunction et joins the subsequent clause where genuit (“begot”) governs the direct object Mathusalam.

Morphology

  1. Porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Transitional adverb introducing a new genealogical unit; Translation: “now / furthermore”; Notes: Commonly used in biblical Latin to signal continuation or emphasis in narrative sequence.
  2. Henoch — Lemma: Henoch; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of vixit; Translation: “Henoch”; Notes: The Latin form reflects the Hebrew חֲנוֹךְ (Ḥanokh), transliterated via Greek Ἑνὼχ.
  3. vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “lived”; Notes: Indicates a completed span of life, typical of genealogical records in Genesis.
  4. sexaginta — Lemma: sexaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: First element in compound numeral phrase; Translation: “sixty”; Notes: Numerals above ten are usually indeclinable in Latin.
  5. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: Indeclinable; Function: Completes numeric phrase with sexaginta; Translation: “five”; Notes: Used idiomatically with annis to indicate age or duration (“for sixty-five years”).
  6. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural masculine; Function: Ablative of duration; Translation: “years”; Notes: The ablative expresses the period through which an action occurs (time during which).
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects two coordinated main clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: One of the most frequent connectors in Latin prose, marking sequential narration.
  8. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “he begot / fathered”; Notes: The perfect tense denotes a completed event in the genealogical chain.
  9. Mathusalam — Lemma: Mathusalam; Part of Speech: Proper noun (indeclinable); Form: Accusative singular masculine (by syntax); Function: Direct object of genuit; Translation: “Mathusalam”; Notes: The Latin form corresponds to the Hebrew מְתוּשָׁלַח (Metushelach), rendered through Greek Μαθουσάλας.

 

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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