Genesis 5:3

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:3 Vixit autem Adam centum triginta annis: et genuit ad imaginem et similitudinem suam, vocavitque nomen eius Seth.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and he begot a son in his own image and likeness, and he called his name Seth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 autem and/but CONJ.ADV
3 Adam Adam PROPN.NOM.SG.M
4 centum hundred NUM.INDECL
5 triginta thirty NUM.INDECL
6 annis years NOUN.ABL.PL.M
7 et and CONJ
8 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
9 ad to/according to PREP+ACC
10 imaginem image NOUN.ACC.SG.F
11 et and CONJ
12 similitudinem likeness NOUN.ACC.SG.F
13 suam his own PRON.REFL.ACC.SG.F
14 vocavitque and he called VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
15 nomen name NOUN.ACC.SG.N
16 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
17 Seth Seth PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The main clause Vixit autem Adam centum triginta annis expresses a temporal duration, where Vixit is the verb, Adam the subject, and centum triginta annis an ablative of time how long.
The next clause et genuit ad imaginem et similitudinem suam has genuit as the main verb, with the prepositional phrase ad imaginem et similitudinem suam describing conformity of the offspring to Adam’s own likeness.
Finally, vocavitque nomen eius Seth combines vocavit (he called) with the enclitic conjunction -que, linking it to the prior clause. nomen serves as internal accusative, eius as possessive genitive, and Seth as predicate accusative, identifying the name bestowed.

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: lived; Notes: expresses completed duration of life.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/adverb; Form: coordinating; Function: links this verse with prior narrative; Translation: and/but; Notes: mild transitional connector.
  3. Adam — Lemma: Adam; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vixit” and “genuit”; Translation: Adam; Notes: the first man.
  4. centum — Lemma: centum; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: hundred; Notes: part of a compound numeral.
  5. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: thirty; Notes: gives precise age count.
  6. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time how long; Translation: years; Notes: expresses duration of life.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins verbs; Translation: and; Notes: links clauses.
  8. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: begot; Notes: expresses procreation.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: to/according to; Notes: introduces the standard of likeness.
  10. imaginem — Lemma: imago; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: image; Notes: concept of resemblance.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins “imaginem” and “similitudinem”; Translation: and; Notes: connects parallel nouns.
  12. similitudinem — Lemma: similitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: likeness; Notes: expresses close resemblance.
  13. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: modifies “similitudinem”; Translation: his own; Notes: refers back to Adam.
  14. vocavitque — Lemma: voco + que; Part of Speech: Verb (with enclitic conjunction); Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and he called; Notes: adds action with “-que” joining prior clause.
  15. nomen — Lemma: nomen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: internal accusative with “vocavit”; Translation: name; Notes: naming act complement.
  16. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Possessive pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: modifies “nomen”; Translation: his; Notes: indicates ownership of the name.
  17. Seth — Lemma: Seth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: predicate accusative complement of “vocavit”; Translation: Seth; Notes: identifies the son named by Adam.

 

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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