Genesis 6:1

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:1 Cumque cœpissent homines multiplicari super terram, et filias procreassent,

And when men began to multiply upon the earth, and had begotten daughters,

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ.SUBORD+ENCLITIC
2 cœpissent had begun VERB.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
3 homines men NOUN.NOM.PL.M
4 multiplicari to multiply INF.PRES.PASS
5 super upon PREP+ACC
6 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
7 et and CONJ
8 filias daughters NOUN.ACC.PL.F
9 procreassent had begotten VERB.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT

Syntax

The verse Cumque cœpissent homines multiplicari super terram, et filias procreassent introduces a temporal and causal setting for the events that follow in Genesis 6.
The subordinating conjunction cumque (“and when”) governs two pluperfect subjunctive verbs: cœpissent and procreassent.
The main clause implied follows in the next verse, but the syntax here establishes a protasis (“when this had happened”).
The subject homines functions as nominative plural, governing the infinitive multiplicari in indirect statement after cœpissent.
The prepositional phrase super terram expresses the spatial expansion (“upon the earth”), while the second clause et filias procreassent continues the temporal structure, indicating that the population growth included the birth of daughters.

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction (with enclitic); Form: subordinating + coordinating; Function: introduces a temporal subordinate clause; Translation: and when; Notes: connects previous genealogy to the new narrative section.
  2. cœpissent — Lemma: coepi; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: main verb of the subordinate clause; Translation: had begun; Notes: expresses action prior to another past event, hence subjunctive after “cum.”
  3. homines — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject of “cœpissent” and “procreassent”; Translation: men; Notes: collective term for humankind.
  4. multiplicari — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: Verb (infinitive); Form: present passive infinitive; Function: complementary infinitive with “cœpissent”; Translation: to multiply; Notes: passive in form but reflexive in sense (“to increase in number”).
  5. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces location; Translation: upon; Notes: expresses widespread multiplication over the surface of the earth.
  6. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: earth; Notes: represents the inhabited world.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: coordinating; Function: joins the two subordinate verbs; Translation: and; Notes: connects the two parallel temporal clauses.
  8. filias — Lemma: filia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: direct object of “procreassent”; Translation: daughters; Notes: introduces key theme leading to the “sons of God” episode.
  9. procreassent — Lemma: procreo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: second verb in temporal clause; Translation: had begotten; Notes: marks completed past action within the temporal setting of the narrative introduction.

 

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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