Genesis 5:9

Posted on January 5, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 5:9 Vixit vero Enos nonaginta annis, et genuit Cainan.

And Enos indeed lived ninety years, and he begot Cainan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vixit lived VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
2 vero indeed/truly ADV
3 Enos Enos PROPN.NOM.SG.M
4 nonaginta ninety NUM.INDECL
5 annis years NOUN.ABL.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
8 Cainan Cainan PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The main clause Vixit vero Enos nonaginta annis states the duration of Enos’s life before begetting Cainan, with Enos as subject, vixit as the main verb, and nonaginta annis as an ablative of time how long.
The adverb vero adds emphasis, contrasting or confirming continuity within the genealogy (“indeed” or “truly”).
The coordinating clause et genuit Cainan follows, introducing the genealogical event — genuit as the main verb and Cainan as the direct object (“he begot Cainan”).

Morphology

  1. Vixit — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: lived; Notes: expresses Enos’s life span prior to begetting.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: intensifying or confirmatory adverb; Translation: indeed/truly; Notes: emphasizes narrative continuity and factuality.
  3. Enos — Lemma: Enos; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vixit” and “genuit”; Translation: Enos; Notes: descendant of Seth, continuing genealogical line.
  4. nonaginta — Lemma: nonaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies “annis”; Translation: ninety; Notes: gives the numerical duration of years lived.
  5. annis — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time how long; Translation: years; Notes: expresses duration of life before fathering Cainan.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins main clauses; Translation: and; Notes: marks sequential event in genealogy.
  7. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: begot; Notes: denotes act of procreation.
  8. Cainan — Lemma: Cainan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: Cainan; Notes: son of Enos, next patriarch in sequence.

 

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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