Genesis 6:8

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:8 Noe vero invenit gratiam coram Domino.

But Noe found grace before the LORD.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Noe Noah NOUN.NOM.SG.M
2 vero but / indeed ADV.CONTRAST
3 invenit found VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
4 gratiam grace / favor NOUN.ACC.SG.F
5 coram before / in the presence of PREP+ABL
6 Domino LORD NOUN.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

The clause Noe vero invenit gratiam coram Domino presents a contrast to the preceding judgment narrative.
The adverb vero (“but” or “indeed”) introduces this contrast, highlighting Noe’s exceptional standing.
The subject Noe and the verb invenit form the main clause, with gratiam as the direct object.
The prepositional phrase coram Domino functions adverbially, expressing location or presence—“before the LORD.”
The word order emphasizes divine favor as a distinguishing mark of Noe’s righteousness.

Morphology

  1. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of the sentence; Translation: Noah; Notes: Hebrew origin (נֹחַ, Noaḥ), representing the righteous remnant.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast or emphasis; Translation: but / indeed; Notes: transitional connective contrasting Noe with the corrupt world.
  3. invenit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: found; Notes: perfect tense indicates completed discovery of divine favor.
  4. gratiam — Lemma: gratia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “invenit”; Translation: grace / favor; Notes: denotes goodwill or divine acceptance.
  5. coram — Lemma: coram; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses spatial or moral presence; Translation: before / in the presence of; Notes: often used in legal or theological contexts for divine observation.
  6. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “coram”; Translation: LORD; Notes: when referring to YHWH, “Dominus” is rendered as “LORD” in English translations.

 

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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