Genesis 6:10

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:10 Et genuit tres filios, Sem, Cham et Iapheth.

And he begot three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 genuit begot VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
3 tres three NUM.ACC.PL.M
4 filios sons NOUN.ACC.PL.M
5 Sem Shem PROPN.ACC.SG.M
6 Cham Ham PROPN.ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 Iapheth Japheth PROPN.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The clause Et genuit tres filios, Sem, Cham et Iapheth expresses a simple past narrative action.
The conjunction Et links this statement to the preceding verse, continuing the genealogical sequence.
The subject, implied from context (Noe), performs the action genuit (“begot”).
The direct object is tres filios (“three sons”), followed by an appositive phrase naming them: Sem, Cham et Iapheth.
The coordination by et reflects classical enumeration style in Latin prose.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects with previous clause; Translation: and; Notes: continues narrative sequence.
  2. genuit — Lemma: gigno; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: begot; Notes: expresses completed genealogical act.
  3. tres — Lemma: tres; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies “filios”; Translation: three; Notes: numerical quantifier of offspring.
  4. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: direct object of “genuit”; Translation: sons; Notes: denotes male descendants.
  5. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: first in appositive list; Translation: Shem; Notes: Hebrew שֵׁם (Shem), ancestor of Semitic peoples.
  6. Cham — Lemma: Cham; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: second in appositive list; Translation: Ham; Notes: represents African lineage in later genealogies.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins final element; Translation: and; Notes: marks the final member in enumeration.
  8. Iapheth — Lemma: Iapheth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: last in appositive list; Translation: Japheth; Notes: linked to Indo-European descendants in later texts.

 

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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