Genesis 6:12

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:12 Cumque vidisset Deus terram esse corruptam, (omnis quippe caro corruperat viam suam super terram)

And when God saw that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth),

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Cumque and when CONJ+SUBORD
2 vidisset had seen VERB.3SG.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
3 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
5 esse to be INF.PRES.ACT
6 corruptam corrupted PART.PERF.PASS.ACC.SG.F
7 omnis every / all ADJ.NOM.SG.F
8 quippe indeed / in fact ADV.EXPLAN
9 caro flesh NOUN.NOM.SG.F
10 corruperat had corrupted VERB.3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
11 viam way / path NOUN.ACC.SG.F
12 suam its own PRON.REFL.ACC.SG.F
13 super upon / over PREP+ACC
14 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

The opening subordinate clause Cumque vidisset Deus terram esse corruptam is a temporal clause introduced by Cumque (“and when”), governing the pluperfect subjunctive vidisset.
The infinitive phrase terram esse corruptam serves as its object, forming an indirect statement (“that the earth was corrupted”).
The parenthetical clause (omnis quippe caro corruperat viam suam super terram) provides the reason for divine observation.
Here, corruperat (pluperfect indicative) emphasizes that the moral corruption had already occurred before divine intervention.
The noun caro (“flesh”) collectively represents humanity, and viam suam (“its way”) expresses moral conduct or behavior, with super terram specifying the sphere of action—“upon the earth.”

Morphology

  1. Cumque — Lemma: cum + que; Part of Speech: Conjunction (temporal with enclitic); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces subordinate temporal clause; Translation: and when; Notes: links to previous narrative events.
  2. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had seen; Notes: expresses completed perception prior to main event.
  3. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “vidisset”; Translation: God; Notes: divine observer and judge.
  4. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: subject of infinitive “esse” in indirect statement; Translation: earth; Notes: locus of human corruption.
  5. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive of indirect discourse; Translation: to be; Notes: complements “vidisset.”
  6. corruptam — Lemma: corrumpo; Part of Speech: Participle; Form: accusative singular feminine perfect passive; Function: predicate of infinitive clause; Translation: corrupted; Notes: describes the moral ruin of the earth.
  7. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies “caro”; Translation: every / all; Notes: emphasizes universality of corruption.
  8. quippe — Lemma: quippe; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanatory parenthesis; Translation: indeed / for in fact; Notes: gives reason for divine observation.
  9. caro — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “corruperat”; Translation: flesh; Notes: metonym for humanity or living beings.
  10. corruperat — Lemma: corrumpo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of parenthetical clause; Translation: had corrupted; Notes: perfective aspect showing completed moral decay.
  11. viam — Lemma: via; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “corruperat”; Translation: way / path; Notes: symbolizes moral conduct or lifestyle.
  12. suam — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier of “viam”; Translation: its own; Notes: emphasizes individual responsibility.
  13. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses spatial domain; Translation: upon / over; Notes: specifies the earthly sphere of corruption.
  14. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: earth; Notes: closing repetition reinforces scope of depravity.

 

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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