Genesis 7:9

Posted on January 7, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 7:9 duo et duo ingressa sunt ad Noe in arcam, masculus et femina, sicut præceperat Dominus Noe.

Two and two entered to Noe into the ark, male and female, just as the LORD had commanded Noe.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 duo two NUM.NOM.PL.N
2 et and CONJ
3 duo two NUM.NOM.PL.N
4 ingressa having entered PART.PERF.NOM.PL.N
5 sunt are / were VERB.3PL.PRES.ACT.IND (AUX)
6 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
7 Noe Noah NOUN.ACC.SG.M
8 in into PREP+ACC
9 arcam ark NOUN.ACC.SG.F
10 masculus male NOUN.NOM.SG.M
11 et and CONJ
12 femina female NOUN.NOM.SG.F
13 sicut just as CONJ.COMP
14 præceperat had commanded VERB.3SG.PLUPERF.ACT.IND
15 Dominus LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
16 Noe Noah NOUN.DAT.SG.M

Syntax

The main clause duo et duo ingressa sunt ad Noe in arcam presents a distributive numerical construction (“two and two”) functioning as the plural neuter subject of the perfect deponent verb ingressa sunt (“they entered”).
The prepositional phrase ad Noe expresses direction “to Noe,” indicating his authority or presence as overseer of the ark’s entrance, while in arcam defines the destination.
The appositional phrase masculus et femina clarifies the nature of the pairs.
The subordinate clause sicut præceperat Dominus Noe provides divine authorization — “just as the LORD had commanded Noe.”
Dominus is the subject of præceperat, and Noe (dative) is the indirect object of the command.

Morphology

  1. duo — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject (first of pair); Translation: two; Notes: part of distributive repetition “duo et duo.”
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins numerals; Translation: and; Notes: used for rhythmic repetition.
  3. duo — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: nominative plural neuter; Function: subject repetition; Translation: two; Notes: emphasizes paired entry of species.
  4. ingressa — Lemma: ingredior; Part of Speech: Participle (Deponent); Form: perfect nominative plural neuter; Function: agrees with subject; Translation: having entered; Notes: deponent form used with auxiliary sunt.
  5. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb (Auxiliary); Form: third person plural present active indicative; Function: completes deponent perfect; Translation: are / were; Notes: renders perfect tense “entered.”
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction toward; Translation: to / toward; Notes: used with personal object Noe.
  7. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of “ad”; Translation: Noe; Notes: marks destination or association.
  8. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates motion into; Translation: into; Notes: goal of action “in arcam.”
  9. arcam — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: ark; Notes: locus of preservation.
  10. masculus — Lemma: masculus; Part of Speech: Noun / Adjective; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: appositive to subject; Translation: male; Notes: specifies biological pair.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links pair; Translation: and; Notes: joins “male and female.”
  12. femina — Lemma: femina; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: appositive to “masculus”; Translation: female; Notes: complements paired creation motif.
  13. sicut — Lemma: sicut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces comparison clause; Translation: just as; Notes: comparative connective introducing divine directive.
  14. præceperat — Lemma: præcipio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect active indicative; Function: main verb of subordinate clause; Translation: had commanded; Notes: denotes prior divine instruction.
  15. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of “præceperat”; Translation: LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH (LORD) in divine command.
  16. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object of “præceperat”; Translation: to Noe; Notes: recipient of the LORD’s command.

 

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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