Genesis 5:30

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:30 Vixitque Lamech, postquam genuit Noe, quingentis nonaginta quinque annis, et genuit filios et filias.

And Lamech lived, after he had begotten Noah, five hundred and ninety-five years, and he begot sons and daughters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixitque and he lived VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND+CONJ
2 Lamech Lamech PROPN.NOM.SG.M
3 postquam after CONJ.SUBORD
4 genuit had begotten VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
5 Noe Noah PROPN.ACC.SG.M
6 quingentis five hundred NUM.ABL.PL.M
7 nonaginta ninety NUM.INDECL
8 quinque five NUM.INDECL
9 annis years NOUN.ABL.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
12 filios sons NOUN.ACC.PL.M
13 et and CONJ
14 filias daughters NOUN.ACC.PL.F

Syntax

The verse Vixitque Lamech, postquam genuit Noe, quingentis nonaginta quinque annis, et genuit filios et filias continues the genealogical sequence in Genesis 5.
The main clause Vixitque Lamech contains the subject Lamech and the perfect verb vixit, joined by the enclitic -que (“and”).
The subordinate clause postquam genuit Noe specifies the time reference, functioning as a temporal clause meaning “after he had begotten Noah.”
The phrase quingentis nonaginta quinque annis serves as an ablative of time how long, expressing the duration of Lamech’s life after the birth of Noah.
The final clause et genuit filios et filias completes the formulaic genealogical expression, indicating other offspring apart from Noah.

Morphology

  1. Vixitque — Lemma: vivo + que; Part of Speech: Verb (with enclitic conjunction); Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: and he lived; Notes: introduces Lamech’s post-parental lifespan.
  2. Lamech — Lemma: Lamech; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vixit” and “genuit”; Translation: Lamech; Notes: patriarch and father of Noah.
  3. postquam — Lemma: postquam; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: subordinating; Function: introduces a temporal clause; Translation: after; Notes: governs a perfect indicative verb denoting completed action.
  4. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had begotten; Notes: indicates completed birth event prior to the duration expressed.
  5. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: Noah; Notes: the heir through whom the human line continues.
  6. quingentis — Lemma: quingenti; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: five hundred; Notes: part of compound numeral phrase.
  7. nonaginta — Lemma: nonaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: ninety; Notes: continues the compound number.
  8. quinque — Lemma: quinque; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: five; Notes: completes total of 595 years.
  9. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time how long; Translation: years; Notes: duration of Lamech’s life after fathering Noah.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins final clause; Translation: and; Notes: continues genealogical pattern.
  11. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of the concluding clause; Translation: begot; Notes: repeats the formulaic genealogical verb.
  12. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: sons; Notes: refers to other unnamed offspring.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links the two direct objects; Translation: and; Notes: connects “filios” and “filias.”
  14. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: daughters; Notes: completes mention of Lamech’s other children.

 

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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