Genesis 8:12

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:12 Expectavitque nihilominus septem alios dies: et emisit columbam, quæ non est reversa ultra ad eum.

And he waited yet another seven days: and he sent forth the dove, which did not return to him again.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Expectavitque and he waited VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT + ENCL
2 nihilominus nevertheless / yet ADV
3 septem seven NUM.INDECL
4 alios other ADJ.ACC.PL.M
5 dies days NOUN.ACC.PL.M
6 et and CONJ
7 emisit he sent forth VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
8 columbam dove NOUN.ACC.SG.F
9 quæ which PRON.REL.NOM.SG.F
10 non not ADV.NEG
11 est was / did VERB.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
12 reversa returned VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.F
13 ultra anymore / beyond ADV
14 ad to / toward PREP+ACC
15 eum him PRON.PERS.ACC.SG.M

Syntax

The perfect verb Expectavitque introduces the main clause, joined by the enclitic -que to link it to the preceding narrative, indicating the continuation of Noe’s patient testing of the earth.
The adverb nihilominus (“nevertheless” or “yet”) reinforces persistence despite the prior success of the olive branch.
The accusative phrase septem alios dies expresses duration and quantifies the waiting period (“another seven days”).
The coordinated clause et emisit columbam resumes the sequence of deliberate actions.
The relative clause quæ non est reversa ultra ad eum provides the result of the release, with non est reversa forming a perfect periphrastic of revertor (“she did not return”) and ultra adding the sense of finality — “no longer” or “ever again.”
The syntax encapsulates both the narrative closure of the dove’s mission and the theological motif of completion and peace.

Morphology

  1. Expectavitque — Lemma: expecto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active + enclitic -que; Function: main verb; Translation: and he waited; Notes: connects with prior verse; perfect denotes completed patient waiting.
  2. nihilominus — Lemma: nihilominus; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: emphasizes persistence; Translation: nevertheless / yet; Notes: concessive nuance — persistence despite preceding results.
  3. septem — Lemma: septem; Part of Speech: Numeral; Form: indeclinable; Function: quantifier; Translation: seven; Notes: denotes completeness or divine order.
  4. alios — Lemma: alius; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies dies; Translation: other / another; Notes: indicates sequence or addition to previous waiting.
  5. dies — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of time duration; Translation: days; Notes: duration accusative used temporally.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects coordinated action; Translation: and; Notes: links two sequential verbs.
  7. emisit — Lemma: emitto; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: he sent forth; Notes: echoes previous dove-sending, signaling conclusion of the flood cycle.
  8. columbam — Lemma: columba; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of emisit; Translation: dove; Notes: consistent motif of hope and peace.
  9. quæ — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of est reversa; Translation: which; Notes: refers to the dove.
  10. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb (negative); Form: indeclinable; Function: negates verb; Translation: not; Notes: simple negation of perfect tense.
  11. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary forming perfect tense with reversa; Translation: was / did; Notes: periphrastic use for deponent verb.
  12. reversa — Lemma: revertor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent participle); Form: nominative singular feminine perfect participle; Function: predicate; Translation: returned; Notes: deponent construction meaning active in sense.
  13. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: limits negation; Translation: anymore / beyond; Notes: intensifies finality of the dove’s departure.
  14. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates direction; Translation: to / toward; Notes: governs pronoun eum.
  15. eum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: him; Notes: refers to Noe as the recipient of the dove’s previous returns.

 

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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