Genesis 6:15

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:15 Et sic facies eam: Trecentorum cubitorum erit longitudo arcæ, quinquaginta cubitorum latitudo, et triginta cubitorum altitudo illius.

And thus you shall make it: three hundred cubits shall be the length of the ark, fifty cubits its width, and thirty cubits its height.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 sic thus / in this manner ADV
3 facies you shall make VERB.2SG.FUT.ACT.IND
4 eam it PRON.ACC.SG.F
5 Trecentorum of three hundred NUM.GEN.PL.M
6 cubitorum cubits NOUN.GEN.PL.M
7 erit shall be VERB.3SG.FUT.ACT.IND
8 longitudo length NOUN.NOM.SG.F
9 arcæ of the ark NOUN.GEN.SG.F
10 quinquaginta fifty NUM.INVAR
11 cubitorum cubits NOUN.GEN.PL.M
12 latitudo width NOUN.NOM.SG.F
13 et and CONJ
14 triginta thirty NUM.INVAR
15 cubitorum cubits NOUN.GEN.PL.M
16 altitudo height NOUN.NOM.SG.F
17 illius of it / its PRON.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

The verse opens with Et sic facies eam — a coordinating conjunction Et joined with the adverb sic introduces a procedural instruction, literally “And thus you shall make it.”
The following series of clauses specifies the ark’s dimensions, each introduced by a nominative noun and followed by genitive and numerical modifiers:
Trecentorum cubitorum erit longitudo arcæ sets the length (“the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits”). The verb erit functions as the copula linking subject and predicate.
The next parallel constructions, quinquaginta cubitorum latitudo and triginta cubitorum altitudo illius, use asyndetic parallelism, with implied verbs of being.
This tripartite formula reflects the precision and symmetry characteristic of Hebrew measurements translated into Latin, emphasizing both divine order and proportion.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects with previous instruction; Translation: and; Notes: introduces continuation of divine command.
  2. sic — Lemma: sic; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: manner adverb; Translation: thus / in this way; Notes: refers to specific construction method prescribed by God.
  3. facies — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: second person singular future active indicative; Function: command-like future; Translation: you shall make; Notes: continuing imperative sequence.
  4. eam — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “facies”; Translation: it; Notes: refers to the ark.
  5. Trecentorum — Lemma: trecenti; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: of three hundred; Notes: part of measurement phrase modifying “cubitorum.”
  6. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of quantity; Translation: cubits; Notes: ancient unit of length based on forearm (~45 cm).
  7. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular future active indicative; Function: copula; Translation: shall be; Notes: connects subject with predicate.
  8. longitudo — Lemma: longitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of “erit”; Translation: length; Notes: denotes primary dimension of the ark.
  9. arcæ — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the ark; Notes: specifies ownership of the length.
  10. quinquaginta — Lemma: quinquaginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical modifier; Translation: fifty; Notes: defines width measurement.
  11. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: cubits; Notes: repeated for second dimension.
  12. latitudo — Lemma: latitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject (implied “erit”); Translation: width; Notes: second coordinate dimension.
  13. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final phrase; Translation: and; Notes: joins third dimension clause.
  14. triginta — Lemma: triginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: numerical modifier; Translation: thirty; Notes: third and smallest measurement.
  15. cubitorum — Lemma: cubitus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: genitive of measure; Translation: cubits; Notes: consistent unit repetition establishes precision.
  16. altitudo — Lemma: altitudo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject (implied “erit”); Translation: height; Notes: final dimension completing proportional triad.
  17. illius — Lemma: ille; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier of “altitudo”; Translation: of it / its; Notes: points back to “arca.”

 

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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