Genesis 6:20

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:20 De volucribus iuxta genus suum, et de iumentis in genere suo, et ex omni reptili terræ secundum genus suum: bina de omnibus ingredientur tecum, ut possint vivere.

Of the birds according to their kind, and of the cattle in their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth according to its kind: two of every sort shall enter with you, that they may live.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 De of / from PREP+ABL
2 volucribus birds NOUN.ABL.PL.F
3 iuxta according to / beside PREP+ACC
4 genus kind / species NOUN.ACC.SG.N
5 suum their own ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.N
6 et and CONJ
7 de of / from PREP+ABL
8 iumentis cattle / beasts of burden NOUN.ABL.PL.N
9 in in / according to PREP+ABL
10 genere kind NOUN.ABL.SG.N
11 suo its own ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.N
12 et and CONJ
13 ex of / from PREP+ABL
14 omni every ADJ.ABL.SG.N
15 reptili creeping thing NOUN.ABL.SG.N
16 terræ of the earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F
17 secundum according to PREP+ACC
18 genus kind NOUN.ACC.SG.N
19 suum its own ADJ.POSS.ACC.SG.N
20 bina two each / pairs NUM.DISTR.NOM.PL.N
21 de of / from PREP+ABL
22 omnibus all things / every ADJ.ABL.PL.N
23 ingredientur they shall enter VERB.3PL.FUT.MID/DEP.IND
24 tecum with you PREP+PRON.ABL.SG.2ND
25 ut that / in order that CONJ.PURPOSE
26 possint they may be able VERB.3PL.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
27 vivere to live VERB.INF.PRES.ACT

Syntax

This verse expands the preservation command with categorical specificity: De volucribus… de iumentis… ex omni reptili terræ.
Each prepositional phrase introduces a new class of living creatures — birds, domesticated beasts, and creeping things — followed by iuxta genus suum or secundum genus suum, meaning “according to its kind.” These phrases maintain the taxonomic order established in Genesis 1.
The main clause bina de omnibus ingredientur tecum contains a future deponent verb ingredientur (“they shall enter”) with bina (“pairs”) as the subject and tecum (“with you”) marking accompaniment.
Finally, ut possint vivere expresses the divine purpose — “that they may live.” The periphrastic use of possum + infinitive highlights capability granted by divine provision, emphasizing both survival and stewardship.

Morphology

  1. De — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: denotes origin or category; Translation: of / from; Notes: introduces each class of living beings.
  2. volucribus — Lemma: volucris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “de”; Translation: birds; Notes: generic for flying creatures.
  3. iuxta — Lemma: iuxta; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity or accordance; Translation: according to; Notes: often parallels “secundum.”
  4. genus — Lemma: genus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “iuxta”; Translation: kind; Notes: denotes species classification.
  5. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: their own; Notes: reflexive possession for each species.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects parallel phrases; Translation: and; Notes: adds next category.
  7. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: same as above; Translation: of / from; Notes: introduces second category (iumenta).
  8. iumentis — Lemma: iumentum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of “de”; Translation: cattle / beasts of burden; Notes: domesticated animals.
  9. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: indicates reference; Translation: in / according to; Notes: parallels “iuxta” usage.
  10. genere — Lemma: genus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: complement of “in”; Translation: kind; Notes: type or category.
  11. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: its own; Notes: reflexive to each genus.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: continues the series; Translation: and; Notes: introduces third class.
  13. ex — Lemma: ex; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: origin/source; Translation: of / from; Notes: used before “omni reptili.”
  14. omni — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: modifies “reptili”; Translation: every; Notes: universal scope.
  15. reptili — Lemma: reptile; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of “ex”; Translation: creeping thing; Notes: includes all small land creatures.
  16. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of the earth; Notes: defines habitat domain.
  17. secundum — Lemma: secundum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses conformity; Translation: according to; Notes: synonymous with “iuxta.”
  18. genus — Lemma: genus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of “secundum”; Translation: kind; Notes: classification within species.
  19. suum — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: its own; Notes: reflects divine order in creation.
  20. bina — Lemma: bini; Part of Speech: Distributive numeral; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject; Translation: two each / pairs; Notes: distribution of pairs for preservation.
  21. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: partitive relation; Translation: of / from; Notes: used before “omnibus.”
  22. omnibus — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of “de”; Translation: all; Notes: universal inclusion.
  23. ingredientur — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Deponent verb; Form: third person plural future indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: they shall enter; Notes: deponent verb expressing physical entry.
  24. tecum — Lemma: cum + tu; Part of Speech: Prepositional phrase; Form: ablative singular; Function: accompaniment; Translation: with you; Notes: cohabitation with Noe.
  25. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: that / in order that; Notes: marks divine intent.
  26. possint — Lemma: possum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural present subjunctive active; Function: auxiliary of capability; Translation: they may be able; Notes: potential expression of divine preservation.
  27. vivere — Lemma: vivo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: present active infinitive; Function: infinitive complement to “possint”; Translation: to live; Notes: ultimate divine purpose for all living beings.

 

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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