Genesis 8:11

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:11 At illa venit ad eum ad vesperam, portans ramum olivæ virentibus foliis in ore suo. intellexit ergo Noe quod cessassent aquæ super terram.

But she came to him in the evening, carrying in her mouth a branch of olive with green leaves. Then Noe understood that the waters had ceased upon the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ.ADV
2 illa she PRON.DEM.NOM.SG.F
3 venit came VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
4 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
5 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M
6 ad at / toward PREP+ACC
7 vesperam evening NOUN.ACC.SG.F
8 portans carrying VERB.PRES.PTCP.NOM.SG.F.ACT
9 ramum branch NOUN.ACC.SG.M
10 olivæ of olive NOUN.GEN.SG.F
11 virentibus green / fresh ADJ.ABL.PL.N
12 foliis leaves NOUN.ABL.PL.N
13 in in PREP+ABL
14 ore mouth NOUN.ABL.SG.N
15 suo her ADJ.POSS.ABL.SG.N
16 intellexit understood VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
17 ergo therefore / then CONJ.ADV
18 Noe Noah NOUN.NOM.SG.M
19 quod that CONJ.COMP
20 cessassent had ceased VERB.3PL.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
21 aquæ waters NOUN.NOM.PL.F
22 super upon / over PREP+ACC
23 terram earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

The verse begins with the adversative particle At, linking this event with the previous waiting period.
illa venit ad eum ad vesperam forms the main clause: the demonstrative illa (the dove) as subject, with ad eum marking direction and ad vesperam providing temporal context.
The participial phrase portans ramum olivæ virentibus foliis in ore suo describes her action upon return — an ablative of means and accompaniment expressing how she bore the sign of renewed life.
The following clause intellexit ergo Noe quod cessassent aquæ super terram introduces Noe’s realization, with quod governing an indirect statement.
Within that subordinate clause, aquæ acts as the subject of cessassent, and super terram defines the spatial extent of the cessation.
This sentence moves from narrative to interpretation: the dove’s sign leads directly to Noe’s understanding of divine peace.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: Conjunction / adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces contrast; Translation: but; Notes: marks narrative shift to the dove’s return.
  2. illa — Lemma: ille, illa, illud; Part of Speech: Pronoun (demonstrative); Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: she; Notes: refers to the dove.
  3. venit — Lemma: venio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: came; Notes: perfect tense expressing completed motion.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses direction; Translation: to / toward; Notes: indicates movement toward Noe.
  5. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Noe.
  6. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces time phrase; Translation: at / toward; Notes: here temporal “at (the time of).”
  7. vesperam — Lemma: vespera; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: accusative of time; Translation: evening; Notes: specifies time of arrival.
  8. portans — Lemma: porto; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: nominative singular feminine present participle active; Function: modifies illa; Translation: carrying; Notes: depicts ongoing action accompanying motion.
  9. ramum — Lemma: ramus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of portans; Translation: branch; Notes: physical symbol of new life.
  10. olivæ — Lemma: oliva; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular feminine; Function: genitive of material / source; Translation: of olive; Notes: tree signifying peace and restoration.
  11. virentibus — Lemma: virens; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies foliis; Translation: green / fresh; Notes: from vireo, “to be verdant.”
  12. foliis — Lemma: folium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: ablative of description; Translation: leaves; Notes: depicts vitality of the branch.
  13. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses location; Translation: in; Notes: introduces spatial relation.
  14. ore — Lemma: os; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: object of in; Translation: mouth; Notes: physical location of the branch.
  15. suo — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: ablative singular neuter; Function: agrees with ore; Translation: her; Notes: reflexive referring back to the dove.
  16. intellexit — Lemma: intellego; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: understood; Notes: cognitive verb introducing indirect statement.
  17. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Conjunction (inferential); Form: indeclinable; Function: marks conclusion; Translation: therefore / then; Notes: signals logical result of observation.
  18. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject of intellexit; Translation: Noe; Notes: consistent nominative use.
  19. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction (complementizer); Form: indeclinable; Function: introduces indirect statement; Translation: that; Notes: governs subordinate clause.
  20. cessassent — Lemma: cesso; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person plural pluperfect subjunctive active; Function: verb in subordinate clause; Translation: had ceased; Notes: subjunctive follows intellexit quod for reported perception.
  21. aquæ — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative plural feminine; Function: subject of cessassent; Translation: waters; Notes: floodwaters now abating.
  22. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: expresses location; Translation: upon / over; Notes: specifies coverage.
  23. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: object of super; Translation: earth; Notes: landmass exposed as waters subside.

 

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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