Genesis 7:17

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:17 Factumque est diluvium quadraginta diebus super terram: et multiplicatæ sunt aquæ, et elevaverunt arcam in sublime a terra.

And the flood came for forty days upon the earth: and the waters were multiplied, and they lifted the ark on high from the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Factumque and it came to pass VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.N + ENCL
2 est was / came VERB.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
3 diluvium flood NOUN.NOM.SG.N
4 quadraginta forty NUM.INDECL
5 diebus days NOUN.ABL.PL.M
6 super upon PREP+ACC
7 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
8 et and CONJ
9 multiplicatæ were multiplied VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.PL.F
10 sunt were VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
11 aquæ waters NOUN.NOM.PL.F
12 et and CONJ
13 elevaverunt they lifted VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
14 arcam ark NOUN.ACC.SG.F
15 in into / to PREP+ACC
16 sublime on high NOUN.ACC.SG.N (used adverbially)
17 a from PREP+ABL
18 terra earth NOUN.ABL.SG.F

Syntax

The opening clause Factumque est diluvium quadraginta diebus super terram expresses the eventive perfect with factum est (“it happened”), followed by temporal and locative complements.
The participle Factumque (with enclitic -que) links the new episode to the prior verse.
The second clause et multiplicatæ sunt aquæ introduces the feminine plural subject aquæ (“waters”) with a passive perfect construction, denoting increase or surging.
The third clause et elevaverunt arcam in sublime a terra presents active verbal agency — the waters (understood) raised the ark “on high from the earth.”
The motion prepositions in + accusative and a + ablative trace vertical displacement, emphasizing divine elevation from the realm of judgment.

Morphology

  1. Factumque — Lemma: fio; Part of Speech: Verb (irregular passive participle); Form: nominative singular neuter perfect participle + enclitic -que; Function: predicate with est; Translation: and it came to pass; Notes: enclitic connects this event to the prior clause.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active; Function: auxiliary forming perfect; Translation: was / came; Notes: completes periphrastic perfect construction.
  3. diluvium — Lemma: diluvium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject; Translation: flood; Notes: denotes cataclysmic event of divine judgment.
  4. quadraginta — Lemma: quadraginta; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies diebus; Translation: forty; Notes: expresses temporal duration.
  5. diebus — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural masculine; Function: ablative of time; Translation: days; Notes: time frame of flood’s activity.
  6. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon; Notes: denotes coverage over the earth.
  7. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: earth; Notes: indicates sphere of inundation.
  8. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins sequential clause; Translation: and; Notes: introduces result clause.
  9. multiplicatæ — Lemma: multiplico; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive); Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: predicate with sunt; Translation: were multiplied; Notes: agrees with aquæ.
  10. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (auxiliary); Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active; Function: completes periphrastic perfect; Translation: were; Notes: auxiliary supporting passive sense.
  11. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject; Translation: waters; Notes: plural usage emphasizes abundance.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins next result; Translation: and; Notes: continues sequence of divine action.
  13. elevaverunt — Lemma: elevo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: they lifted; Notes: subject implied as “waters.”
  14. arcam — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of elevaverunt; Translation: ark; Notes: vessel of salvation.
  15. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: into / to; Notes: denotes upward movement.
  16. sublime — Lemma: sublime; Part of Speech: Noun (used adverbially); Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of in (adverbial); Translation: on high; Notes: indicates elevation.
  17. a — Lemma: a (ab); Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: separation; Translation: from; Notes: expresses source or distance from ground.
  18. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of a; Translation: earth; Notes: lower reference point of elevation.

 

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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