Genesis 6:11

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:11 Corrupta est autem terra coram Deo, et repleta est iniquitate.

But the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with iniquity.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Corrupta corrupted PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F
2 est was VERB.3SG.PERF.IND
3 autem but / moreover ADV.CONTRAST
4 terra earth NOUN.NOM.SG.F
5 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
6 Deo God NOUN.ABL.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 repleta filled PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.F
9 est was VERB.3SG.PERF.IND
10 iniquitate with iniquity NOUN.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

The sentence consists of two parallel clauses joined by et, both describing the moral condition of the earth.
In the first clause, Corrupta est autem terra coram Deo, the perfect passive verb phrase corrupta est forms a periphrastic construction, with terra as the nominative subject.
The prepositional phrase coram Deo expresses divine observation—“before God,” emphasizing moral accountability.
The second clause, et repleta est iniquitate, mirrors the first in structure and rhythm. The perfect passive repleta est with the ablative of means iniquitate denotes the extent of corruption: the earth “was filled with iniquity.”
The use of two perfect passives underlines total moral and physical ruin.

Morphology

  1. Corrupta — Lemma: corrumpo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: part of periphrastic passive with “est”; Translation: corrupted; Notes: describes moral and physical decay.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary in passive construction; Translation: was; Notes: forms periphrastic perfect passive.
  3. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Adverb / conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast or transition; Translation: but / moreover; Notes: marks narrative continuation.
  4. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of both verbs; Translation: earth; Notes: symbolizes humanity’s sphere of habitation.
  5. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses moral presence or observation; Translation: before / in the presence of; Notes: theological nuance of divine witness.
  6. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: God; Notes: divine observer of human corruption.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects clauses; Translation: and; Notes: joins parallel statements.
  8. repleta — Lemma: repleo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: nominative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: part of periphrastic passive; Translation: filled; Notes: conveys saturation of wickedness.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect indicative; Function: auxiliary of passive; Translation: was; Notes: identical construction as first clause.
  10. iniquitate — Lemma: iniquitas; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of means; Translation: with iniquity; Notes: moral corruption personified as a substance filling the earth.

 

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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