Genesis 7:3

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:3 Sed et de volatilibus cæli septena et septena, masculum et feminam: ut salvetur semen super faciem universæ terræ.

But also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, the male and the female: that seed may be saved upon the face of all the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Sed but CONJ.ADV.CONTRAST
2 et also / even CONJ.ADV.ADDITIVE
3 de of / from PREP+ABL
4 volatilibus birds NOUN.ABL.PL.N
5 cæli of the sky / heaven NOUN.GEN.SG.M
6 septena seven each / by sevens NUM.DISTR.NOM.PL.N
7 et and CONJ
8 septena seven each / by sevens NUM.DISTR.NOM.PL.N
9 masculum male NOUN.ACC.SG.M
10 et and CONJ
11 feminam female NOUN.ACC.SG.F
12 ut that / in order that CONJ.PURPOSE
13 salvetur may be saved VERB.3SG.PRES.SUBJ.PASS
14 semen seed / offspring NOUN.NOM.SG.N
15 super upon / over PREP+ACC
16 faciem face / surface NOUN.ACC.SG.F
17 universæ of all / whole ADJ.GEN.SG.F
18 terræ earth NOUN.GEN.SG.F

Syntax

The verse begins with a connective pair Sed et — “but also” — linking this command to the previous one concerning animals, now extending it to birds.
The prepositional phrase de volatilibus cæli defines the subject class: “of the birds of the sky.”
The distributive numerals septena et septena repeat the earlier pattern, denoting pairs taken in sevens, followed by the apposition masculum et feminam specifying gender complement.
The purpose clause ut salvetur semen super faciem universæ terræ introduces the divine intention: “that seed may be saved upon the face of all the earth.”
Here, salvetur (subjunctive passive) expresses divine will in purpose, while semen (“seed” or “offspring”) stands collectively for biological continuity — life’s preservation across species.
The phrase super faciem universæ terræ (“upon the face of all the earth”) emphasizes universality, linking back to the creation narrative where life once filled the world.

Morphology

  1. Sed — Lemma: sed; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: marks shift or addition with mild contrast.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction / Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: additive; Translation: also; Notes: strengthens “Sed” to mean “but also.”
  3. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source or category; Translation: of / from; Notes: introduces the species group.
  4. volatilibus — Lemma: volatilis; Part of Speech: Noun (substantive); Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of “de”; Translation: birds; Notes: literally “winged creatures.”
  5. cæli — Lemma: caelum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular neuter; Function: genitive of place or domain; Translation: of the sky; Notes: Hebrew parallel “birds of the heavens.”
  6. septena — Lemma: septeni; Part of Speech: Distributive numeral; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject complement; Translation: seven each; Notes: expresses group count in pairs of seven.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: repetition; Translation: and; Notes: strengthens the distributive repetition.
  8. septena — Lemma: septeni; Part of Speech: Distributive numeral; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: continuation; Translation: seven and seven; Notes: idiomatic for “pairs by sevens.”
  9. masculum — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: appositional complement; Translation: male; Notes: indicates one of each sex per pair.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: connects male and female.
  11. feminam — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: complement to “masculum”; Translation: female; Notes: reproductive counterpart ensuring continuity.
  12. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces purpose clause; Translation: that / in order that; Notes: introduces divine intent.
  13. salvetur — Lemma: salvo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive passive; Function: main verb of purpose clause; Translation: may be saved; Notes: divine passive expressing preservation.
  14. semen — Lemma: semen; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular neuter; Function: subject of “salvetur”; Translation: seed / offspring; Notes: collective noun symbolizing continuity of life.
  15. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: spatial relation; Translation: upon / over; Notes: expresses extent across the earth.
  16. faciem — Lemma: facies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “super”; Translation: face / surface; Notes: poetic expression for land surface.
  17. universæ — Lemma: universus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: modifies “terræ”; Translation: of all / whole; Notes: emphasizes totality of earth.
  18. terræ — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: complement to “universæ”; Translation: of the earth; Notes: locative genitive marking universal domain.

 

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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