Genesis 6:18

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:18 Ponamque fœdus meum tecum: et ingredieris arcam tu et filii tui, uxor tua, et uxores filiorum tuorum tecum.

And I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark — you and your sons, your wife, and the wives of your sons with you.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ponamque and I will establish VERB.1SG.FUT.ACT.IND + ENCLITIC
2 fœdus covenant NOUN.ACC.SG.N
3 meum my ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.N
4 tecum with you PREP+PRON.ABL.SG.2ND
5 et and CONJ
6 ingredieris you shall enter VERB.2SG.FUT.MID/DEP.IND
7 arcam ark NOUN.ACC.SG.F
8 tu you PRON.NOM.SG.2ND
9 et and CONJ
10 filii sons NOUN.NOM.PL.M
11 tui your ADJ.POSS.NOM.PL.M
12 uxor wife NOUN.NOM.SG.F
13 tua your ADJ.POSS.NOM.SG.F
14 et and CONJ
15 uxores wives NOUN.NOM.PL.F
16 filiorum of the sons NOUN.GEN.PL.M
17 tuorum your ADJ.POSS.GEN.PL.M
18 tecum with you PREP+PRON.ABL.SG.2ND

Syntax

The verse begins with Ponamque fœdus meum tecum, in which Ponam (“I will establish”) functions as the principal future indicative verb.
The enclitic -que links this clause to the preceding divine declaration. Fœdus meum (“My covenant”) is the direct object, and tecum (“with you”) expresses the covenant partner.
The next clause, et ingredieris arcam, is a coordinating future statement describing the consequence of that covenant: Noe’s entry into the ark.
The nominative list that follows (tu et filii tui, uxor tua, et uxores filiorum tuorum tecum) enumerates those included in divine preservation. The structure demonstrates typical Semitic parallelism in Latin form — the repetition of et emphasizes inclusivity and ordered household salvation.
Ingredieris, a deponent verb, expresses both physical motion and covenantal obedience.

Morphology

  1. Ponamque — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: first person singular future active indicative with enclitic “-que”; Function: main verb; Translation: and I will establish; Notes: “-que” connects to preceding discourse.
  2. fœdus — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of “ponam”; Translation: covenant; Notes: formal agreement initiated by God.
  3. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: my; Notes: emphasizes divine ownership of covenant.
  4. tecum — Lemma: cum + tu; Part of Speech: Prepositional phrase; Form: ablative singular; Function: expresses association; Translation: with you; Notes: covenant partner (Noe).
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinate clauses; Translation: and; Notes: introduces a consequence or continuation.
  6. ingredieris — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: second person singular future indicative; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: you shall enter; Notes: future of obligation and fulfillment.
  7. arcam — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “ingredieris”; Translation: ark; Notes: vessel of salvation.
  8. tu — Lemma: tu; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of “ingredieris”; Translation: you; Notes: explicit subject, emphasizing personal obedience.
  9. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connective; Translation: and; Notes: introduces additional participants.
  10. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: sons; Notes: part of Noe’s household.
  11. tui — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: possessive modifier of “filii”; Translation: your; Notes: indicates relationship to Noe.
  12. uxor — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: wife; Notes: included in covenant promise.
  13. tua — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: your; Notes: modifies “uxor.”
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects final phrase; Translation: and; Notes: continues inclusivity list.
  15. uxores — Lemma: uxor; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: coordinated subject; Translation: wives; Notes: refers to wives of Noe’s sons.
  16. filiorum — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: possessive genitive; Translation: of the sons; Notes: shows family lineage connection.
  17. tuorum — Lemma: tuus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: genitive plural masculine; Function: modifies “filiorum”; Translation: your; Notes: reaffirms familial possession.
  18. tecum — Lemma: cum + tu; Part of Speech: Prepositional phrase; Form: ablative singular; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: repeats inclusion for emphasis.

 

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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