Genesis 8:14

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:14 Mense secundo, septimo et vigesimo die mensis arefacta est terra.

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Mense in the month NOUN.ABL.SG.M
2 secundo second ADJ.ABL.SG.M.ORD
3 septimo seventh ADJ.ABL.SG.M.ORD
4 et and CONJ
5 vigesimo twentieth ADJ.ABL.SG.M.ORD
6 die day NOUN.ABL.SG.F
7 mensis of the month NOUN.GEN.SG.M
8 arefacta was dried VERB.PERF.PTCP.NOM.SG.F.PASS
9 est was VERB.3SG.PRES.IND.ACT (AUX)
10 terra earth NOUN.NOM.SG.F

Syntax

The verse begins with a temporal ablative phrase, Mense secundo, septimo et vigesimo die mensis, expressing the exact date — an ablative of time when.
The main clause arefacta est terra is a perfect passive construction formed from the participle arefacta and the auxiliary est.
The subject terra follows the verb, emphasizing the result: the earth, once flooded, now fully dry.
This concise Latin syntax, typical of Vulgate narrative style, marks the completion of the Flood account and transition toward covenantal renewal.

Morphology

  1. Mense — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: in the month; Notes: temporal indicator introducing date.
  2. secundo — Lemma: secundus; Part of Speech: Adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies mense; Translation: second; Notes: part of temporal expression.
  3. septimo — Lemma: septimus; Part of Speech: Adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies die; Translation: seventh; Notes: part of compound date “on the twenty-seventh.”
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: connects ordinals; Translation: and; Notes: joins numerals in date expression.
  5. vigesimo — Lemma: vicesimus; Part of Speech: Adjective (ordinal); Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: modifies die; Translation: twentieth; Notes: combined with septimo to express “twenty-seventh.”
  6. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: ablative of time when; Translation: day; Notes: denotes exact day of event.
  7. mensis — Lemma: mensis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: genitive of specification; Translation: of the month; Notes: clarifies the temporal unit.
  8. arefacta — Lemma: arefacio; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: nominative singular feminine perfect participle passive; Function: predicate with est; Translation: was dried; Notes: denotes completed passive action.
  9. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular present indicative active (auxiliary); Function: auxiliary forming perfect passive; Translation: was; Notes: periphrastic perfect passive formation.
  10. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject of arefacta est; Translation: earth; Notes: symbolizes restoration and stability after the Flood.

 

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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