Genesis 7:18

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:18 Vehementer enim inundaverunt: et omnia repleverunt in superficie terræ: porro arca ferebatur super aquas.

For they overflowed exceedingly: and they filled all things on the surface of the earth: but the ark was carried upon the waters.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Vehementer exceedingly ADV
2 enim for CONJ
3 inundaverunt they overflowed VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
4 et and CONJ
5 omnia all things ADJ.NOM.PL.N (used substantively)
6 repleverunt they filled VERB.3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
7 in on / upon PREP+ABL
8 superficie surface NOUN.ABL.SG.F
9 terræ of the earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F
10 porro but / moreover ADV
11 arca ark NOUN.NOM.SG.F
12 ferebatur was carried VERB.3SG.IMPERF.IND.PASS
13 super upon / over PREP+ACC
14 aquas waters NOUN.ACC.PL.F

Syntax

The verse consists of three coordinated clauses.
The first clause, Vehementer enim inundaverunt, uses the adverb vehementer with causal particle enim to intensify the preceding narrative: the waters “overflowed exceedingly.”
The second clause, et omnia repleverunt in superficie terræ, presents total inundation, with omnia (neuter plural substantive) as the object and the prepositional phrase in superficie terræ specifying location — “on the surface of the earth.”
The third clause, porro arca ferebatur super aquas, contrasts the ark’s buoyancy with the devastation below. The imperfect passive ferebatur (“was being carried”) conveys continuous motion on the waters, while porro marks narrative progression.

Morphology

  1. Vehementer — Lemma: vehementer; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: modifies inundaverunt; Translation: exceedingly; Notes: expresses intensity of the flood’s force.
  2. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: Conjunction (causal); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces explanatory clause; Translation: for; Notes: connects reasoning to prior statement.
  3. inundaverunt — Lemma: inundo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: they overflowed; Notes: subject implied as aquæ from context.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordinates next clause; Translation: and; Notes: joins sequential actions.
  5. omnia — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative plural neuter (used substantively); Function: subject of repleverunt; Translation: all things; Notes: refers to all regions or places filled by the flood.
  6. repleverunt — Lemma: repleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: they filled; Notes: describes completion of inundation.
  7. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: locative; Translation: on / in; Notes: introduces place of coverage.
  8. superficie — Lemma: superficies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of in; Translation: surface; Notes: literal face or top layer of the earth.
  9. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: dependent genitive; Translation: of the earth; Notes: defines the surface being described.
  10. porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrasting narrative point; Translation: but / moreover; Notes: shifts focus to the ark.
  11. arca — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of ferebatur; Translation: ark; Notes: symbolizes refuge amidst chaos.
  12. ferebatur — Lemma: fero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative passive; Function: main verb; Translation: was carried; Notes: continuous motion on the floodwaters.
  13. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon / over; Notes: introduces the medium supporting the ark.
  14. aquas — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: waters; Notes: describes the sustaining element of the ark’s motion.

 

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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