Genesis 9:1

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:1 Benedixitque Deus Noe et filiis eius. Et dixit ad eos: Crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete terram.

And God blessed Noe and his sons. And He said to them: Grow, and be multiplied, and fill the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Benedixitque and blessed VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 Deus God NOUN.NOM.SG.M
3 Noe Noah NOUN.DAT.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 filiis sons NOUN.DAT.PL.M
6 eius his PRON.GEN.SG.M
7 Et and CONJ
8 dixit said VERB.3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
9 ad to PREP+ACC
10 eos them PRON.ACC.PL.M
11 Crescite grow VERB.2PL.PRES.IMP.ACT
12 et and CONJ
13 multiplicamini be multiplied VERB.2PL.PRES.IMP.PASS
14 et and CONJ
15 replete fill VERB.2PL.PRES.IMP.ACT
16 terram the earth NOUN.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Benedixitque Deus Noe et filiis eius uses a perfect indicative to record the completed blessing; the recipients are marked by the dative pair Noe + filiis eius.
Et dixit ad eos introduces direct speech with ad + accusative eos as addressees.
The coordinated imperatives Crescite, multiplicamini, replete form a three-part commission, restoring the creation mandate to humanity after the Flood.

Morphology

  1. Benedixitque — Lemma: benedico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: “and blessed”; Notes: enclitic -que = “and,” linking to prior narrative.
  2. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “God”; Notes: agent of blessing.
  3. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: dative singular masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “Noe”; Notes: beneficiary of the blessing.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: coordination; Translation: “and”; Notes: joins indirect objects.
  5. filiis — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: dative plural masculine; Function: indirect object; Translation: “sons”; Notes: co-recipients with Noe.
  6. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: genitive singular masculine; Function: possessive with filiis; Translation: “his”; Notes: refers to Noe.
  7. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: narrative connector; Translation: “and”; Notes: opens the speech-introduction clause.
  8. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 3rd person singular perfect indicative active; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “said”; Notes: narrative perfect.
  9. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks addressees; Translation: “to”; Notes: direction of speech.
  10. eos — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “them”; Notes: refers to Noe and his sons.
  11. Crescite — Lemma: cresco; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 2nd person plural present imperative active; Function: command; Translation: “grow”; Notes: flourish and increase.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: coordinates the commands.
  13. multiplicamini — Lemma: multiplico / multiplicor; Part of Speech: Verb (deponent usage); Form: 2nd person plural present imperative passive; Function: command; Translation: “be multiplied”; Notes: deponent sense with reciprocal growth.
  14. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: indeclinable; Function: links final imperative; Translation: “and”; Notes: continues sequence.
  15. replete — Lemma: repleo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: 2nd person plural present imperative active; Function: command; Translation: “fill”; Notes: echoes creation mandate.
  16. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: sphere of human habitation.

 

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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