Genesis 5:8

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

8 Et facti sunt omnes dies Seth nongentorum duodecim annorum, et mortuus est.

And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 facti were made/became PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.M
3 sunt were VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.PASS
4 omnes all ADJ.NOM.PL.M
5 dies days NOUN.NOM.PL.M
6 Seth Seth PROPN.GEN.SG.M
7 nongentorum of nine hundred NUM.GEN.PL.M
8 duodecim twelve NUM.INDECL
9 annorum of years NOUN.GEN.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 mortuus died PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M
12 est was VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.DEP

Syntax

The opening clause Et facti sunt omnes dies Seth forms a perfect passive construction meaning “and all the days of Seth were (so many).”
Here, dies is the nominative plural subject, facti sunt is the compound predicate (“were made/became”), and Seth in the genitive identifies whose days are being described.
The genitive phrase nongentorum duodecim annorum functions as a genitive of measure or duration, specifying the total length of Seth’s life — “of nine hundred and twelve years.”
The final clause et mortuus est expresses the conclusion of life: mortuus est is a deponent perfect meaning “he died,” serving as the narrative closure for Seth’s lifespan.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: links with the preceding verse; Translation: and; Notes: continues the genealogical sequence.
  2. facti — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: nominative plural masculine perfect passive participle; Function: agrees with “dies” to form compound verb “facti sunt”; Translation: were made/became; Notes: expresses resulting total of years lived.
  3. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary with “facti”; Translation: were; Notes: completes the perfect passive phrase.
  4. omnes — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies “dies”; Translation: all; Notes: indicates totality.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “facti sunt”; Translation: days; Notes: collective measure of life duration.
  6. Seth — Lemma: Seth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “dies”; Translation: of Seth; Notes: identifies whose lifespan is counted.
  7. nongentorum — Lemma: nongenti; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies “annorum”; Translation: of nine hundred; Notes: first part of compound numeral.
  8. duodecim — Lemma: duodecim; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annorum”; Translation: twelve; Notes: completes the number.
  9. annorum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of years; Notes: expresses duration of Seth’s life.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins final clause; Translation: and; Notes: transitions to conclusion of life record.
  11. mortuus — Lemma: morior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect participle; Function: part of periphrastic verb “mortuus est”; Translation: died; Notes: deponent perfect conveying death event.
  12. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Auxiliary verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary forming perfect deponent; Translation: was; Notes: forms the periphrastic “he died.”

 

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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