Genesis 6:9

Posted on January 6, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 6:9 Hæ sunt generationes Noe: Noe vir iustus atque perfectus fuit in generationibus suis, cum Deo ambulavit.

These are the generations of Noe: Noe was a just and perfect man in his generations; he walked with God.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæ these PRON.NOM.PL.F
2 sunt are VERB.3PL.PRES.ACT.IND
3 generationes generations NOUN.NOM.PL.F
4 Noe Noah NOUN.GEN.SG.M
5 Noe Noah NOUN.NOM.SG.M
6 vir man NOUN.NOM.SG.M
7 iustus just ADJ.NOM.SG.M
8 atque and / also CONJ
9 perfectus perfect / blameless ADJ.NOM.SG.M
10 fuit was VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
11 in in PREP+ABL
12 generationibus generations NOUN.ABL.PL.F
13 suis his / own PRON.ABL.PL.F
14 cum with PREP+ABL
15 Deo God NOUN.ABL.SG.M
16 ambulavit walked VERB.3SG.PERF.ACT.IND

Syntax

The sentence divides into two parts.
First, Hæ sunt generationes Noe is a formal genealogical introduction: “These are the generations of Noe.”
The predicate nominative generationes is linked by the verb sunt, with Hæ as the demonstrative subject.
The genitive Noe defines whose generations are being introduced.
The second part, Noe vir iustus atque perfectus fuit in generationibus suis, cum Deo ambulavit, summarizes Noe’s character.
The copulative verb fuit links the subject Noe vir with the predicate adjectives iustus atque perfectus.
The prepositional phrase in generationibus suis marks moral integrity “within his generations.”
Finally, cum Deo ambulavit (“he walked with God”) expresses ongoing fellowship and obedience, echoing the imagery of close divine companionship.

Morphology

  1. Hæ — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: Demonstrative pronoun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of “sunt”; Translation: these; Notes: introduces a genealogical section.
  2. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: copula linking subject and predicate; Translation: are; Notes: present-tense statement of identification.
  3. generationes — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: generations; Notes: used in genealogical formulae throughout Genesis.
  4. Noe (1st occurrence) — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive genitive modifying “generationes”; Translation: of Noah; Notes: marks descent lineage.
  5. Noe (2nd occurrence) — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “fuit” and “ambulavit”; Translation: Noah; Notes: repeated for emphatic transition.
  6. vir — Lemma: vir; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: apposition to “Noe”; Translation: man; Notes: introduces moral qualification.
  7. iustus — Lemma: iustus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: just / righteous; Notes: denotes moral uprightness before God.
  8. atque — Lemma: atque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects adjectives; Translation: and / also; Notes: reinforces completeness of moral character.
  9. perfectus — Lemma: perfectus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate adjective coordinated with “iustus”; Translation: perfect / blameless; Notes: connotes integrity and moral wholeness.
  10. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: copulative verb; Translation: was; Notes: asserts factual state of being.
  11. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses sphere or context; Translation: in; Notes: refers to contemporaneous moral environment.
  12. generationibus — Lemma: generatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: generations; Notes: refers to Noe’s time period.
  13. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: possessive modifier; Translation: his own; Notes: emphasizes personal distinction within his lineage.
  14. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses companionship; Translation: with; Notes: denotes communion or partnership.
  15. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of “cum”; Translation: God; Notes: signifies divine fellowship and moral alignment.
  16. ambulavit — Lemma: ambulo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular perfect active indicative; Function: main verb; Translation: walked; Notes: metaphor for faithful conduct and spiritual relationship.

 

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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