Genesis 8:20

Posted on January 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 8:20 Ædificavit autem Noe altare Domino: et tollens de cunctis pecoribus et volucribus mundis, obtulit holocausta super altare.

Then Noe built an altar to the LORD, and taking from every clean beast and bird, he offered burnt offerings upon the altar.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Ædificavit built VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 autem however / then CONJ.ADV
3 Noe Noah NOUN.NOM.SG.M (PROPER)
4 altare altar NOUN.ACC.SG.N
5 Domino to the LORD NOUN.DAT.SG.M
6 et and CONJ
7 tollens taking VERB.PRES.PTCP.NOM.SG.M
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 cunctis all ADJ.ABL.PL.N
10 pecoribus beasts / cattle NOUN.ABL.PL.N
11 et and CONJ
12 volucribus birds NOUN.ABL.PL.F
13 mundis clean ADJ.ABL.PL.C
14 obtulit offered VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
15 holocausta burnt offerings NOUN.ACC.PL.N
16 super upon PREP+ACC
17 altare altar NOUN.ACC.SG.N

Syntax

The sentence consists of two main clauses joined by et.
In the first, Ædificavit autem Noe altare Domino, the verb Ædificavit governs a double complement: the direct object altare and the indirect dative Domino (“to the LORD”).
The second clause, et tollens… obtulit, includes a participial phrase (tollens de cunctis pecoribus et volucribus mundis) describing preparatory action, followed by the main verb obtulit with object holocausta and prepositional phrase super altare.
Together they portray Noe’s priestly act of thanksgiving after deliverance from the flood.

Morphology

  1. Ædificavit — Lemma: ædifico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: built; Notes: perfective aspect, completed construction of the altar.
  2. autem — Lemma: autem; Part of Speech: Conjunction/Adverb; Form: indeclinable; Function: transitional connector; Translation: however / then; Notes: softens or continues narrative sequence.
  3. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Noun (proper); Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: Noe; Notes: performs the ritual act.
  4. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: direct object of Ædificavit; Translation: altar; Notes: sacred structure for offering.
  5. Domino — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: to the LORD; Notes: denotes divine recipient (YHWH).
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins the clauses; Translation: and; Notes: coordination of sequential actions.
  7. tollens — Lemma: tollo; Part of Speech: Verb (participle); Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: describes simultaneous preparatory action; Translation: taking; Notes: indicates means of the offering.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses source; Translation: from; Notes: introduces the selection of animals.
  9. cunctis — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: modifies pecoribus; Translation: all; Notes: universal qualifier.
  10. pecoribus — Lemma: pecus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural neuter; Function: object of de; Translation: beasts / cattle; Notes: domesticated clean animals.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: joins coordinate phrase; Translation: and; Notes: connects pecoribus and volucribus.
  12. volucribus — Lemma: volucris; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: ablative plural feminine; Function: second object of de; Translation: birds; Notes: flying clean species.
  13. mundis — Lemma: mundus; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: ablative plural common gender; Function: modifies pecoribus and volucribus; Translation: clean; Notes: ceremonial purity term.
  14. obtulit — Lemma: offero; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb of second clause; Translation: offered; Notes: sacrificial sense.
  15. holocausta — Lemma: holocaustum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative plural neuter; Function: direct object of obtulit; Translation: burnt offerings; Notes: transliterated from Greek “ὁλόκαυστον”.
  16. super — Lemma: super; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: indicates position; Translation: upon; Notes: physical placement of the sacrifice.
  17. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of super; Translation: altar; Notes: the same altar earlier built.

 

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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