Genesis 7:21

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:21 Consumptaque est omnis caro quæ movebatur super terram, volucrum, animantium, bestiarum, omniumque reptilium, quæ reptant super terram: universi homines,

And all flesh was destroyed that moved upon the earth—of birds, of living creatures, of beasts, and of all creeping things that creep upon the earth; and every human being.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Consumptaque and was destroyed VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.F + ENCL
2 est was VERB.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
3 omnis all ADJ.NOM.SG.F
4 caro flesh NOUN.NOM.SG.F
5 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.SG.F
6 movebatur was moving VERB.3SG.IMPERF.IND.PASS
7 super upon / over PREP+ACC
8 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
9 volucrum of birds NOUN.GEN.PL.F
10 animantium of living creatures NOUN.GEN.PL.N
11 bestiarum of beasts NOUN.GEN.PL.F
12 omniumque and of all ADJ.GEN.PL.N + ENCL
13 reptilium of creeping things NOUN.GEN.PL.N
14 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.PL.N
15 reptant creep VERB.3PL.PRES.IND.ACT
16 super upon / over PREP+ACC
17 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F
18 universi all / every ADJ.NOM.PL.M
19 homines humans NOUN.NOM.PL.M

Syntax

This verse unfolds as a solemn catalogue of destruction.
The principal clause Consumptaque est omnis caro (“And all flesh was destroyed”) combines the perfect passive participle consumpta with the auxiliary est in a periphrastic construction, denoting total annihilation.
The relative clause quæ movebatur super terram defines the domain of that destruction—everything that moved upon the earth.
The genitive sequence volucrum, animantium, bestiarum, omniumque reptilium functions as a partitive series, listing the categories of life extinguished.
Finally, quæ reptant super terram modifies reptilium, specifying “those which creep upon the earth,” and universi homines concludes the enumeration with humankind, completing the scope of universal judgment.

Morphology

  1. Consumptaque — Lemma: consumo; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle passive) + enclitic -que; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: predicate adjective; Translation: and was destroyed; Notes: participial agreement with caro forms compound perfect passive.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary of perfect passive; Translation: was; Notes: creates periphrastic perfect tense with consumpta.
  3. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifier of caro; Translation: all; Notes: conveys totality.
  4. caro — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of consumpta est; Translation: flesh; Notes: generic term for all living beings.
  5. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of movebatur; Translation: which; Notes: refers back to caro.
  6. movebatur — Lemma: moveo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular imperfect indicative passive (deponent sense active); Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: was moving; Notes: depicts continual life activity now ended.
  7. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon / over; Notes: introduces the sphere of movement.
  8. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: earth; Notes: physical domain of the destroyed creation.
  9. volucrum — Lemma: volucris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: of birds; Notes: specifies aerial creatures included in destruction.
  10. animantium — Lemma: animal; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: of living creatures; Notes: general category including both domestic and wild life.
  11. bestiarum — Lemma: bestia; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural feminine; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: of beasts; Notes: terrestrial quadrupeds.
  12. omniumque — Lemma: omnis + -que; Part of Speech: Adjective (quantifier) + enclitic; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: modifies reptilium; Translation: and of all; Notes: emphasizes comprehensiveness.
  13. reptilium — Lemma: reptile; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive plural neuter; Function: partitive genitive; Translation: of creeping things; Notes: low-moving ground creatures.
  14. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject of reptant; Translation: which; Notes: introduces subordinate clause specifying reptilia.
  15. reptant — Lemma: repto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural present indicative active; Function: verb of relative clause; Translation: creep; Notes: describes habitual locomotion.
  16. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: locative; Translation: upon / over; Notes: repeats the sphere of existence.
  17. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: earth; Notes: repetition underscores totality of devastation.
  18. universi — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: modifies homines; Translation: all / every; Notes: total inclusion of humanity.
  19. homines — Lemma: homo; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural masculine; Function: subject (resumed or appositive); Translation: humans; Notes: climactic conclusion of the destruction list.

 

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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