Genesis 9:11

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

11 Statuam pactum meum vobiscum, et nequaquam ultra interficietur omnis caro aquis diluvii, neque erit deinceps diluvium dissipans terram.

I will establish my covenant with you, and never again shall all flesh be destroyed by the waters of a flood, nor shall there ever again be a flood destroying the earth.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Statuam I will establish 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
2 pactum covenant N.ACC.SG.N
3 meum my PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.N
4 vobiscum with you PREP+ABL.PL
5 et and CONJ
6 nequaquam by no means ADV
7 ultra anymore ADV
8 interficietur shall be destroyed 3SG.FUT.IND.PASS
9 omnis all ADJ.NOM.SG.F
10 caro flesh N.NOM.SG.F
11 aquis by the waters N.ABL.PL.F
12 diluvii of the flood N.GEN.SG.N
13 neque nor CONJ
14 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
15 deinceps henceforth ADV
16 diluvium flood N.NOM.SG.N
17 dissipans destroying PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.N
18 terram earth N.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Statuam pactum meum vobiscum — primary declaration of divine intent: “I will establish my covenant with you.”
Negative Clause 1: nequaquam ultra interficietur omnis caro aquis diluvii — expresses divine promise never again to destroy all flesh by floodwaters.
Negative Clause 2: neque erit deinceps diluvium dissipans terram — complementary clause emphasizing permanence: “nor shall there henceforth be a flood destroying the earth.”
Verb–Subject Agreement: interficietur and erit are both future indicative forms expressing divine assurance for all time.

Morphology

  1. Statuam — Lemma: statuo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will establish”; Notes: Indicates divine initiative in setting up a covenant.
  2. pactum — Lemma: pactum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of statuam; Translation: “covenant”; Notes: Formal agreement between God and creation.
  3. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Pronoun (possessive); Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Modifies pactum; Translation: “my”; Notes: Emphasizes divine ownership and authorship of the covenant.
  4. vobiscum — Lemma: vos + cum; Part of Speech: Preposition + pronoun; Form: Ablative plural; Function: Expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with you”; Notes: Addresses Noah and his descendants as covenant partners.
  5. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links the covenant declaration with the following promises.
  6. nequaquam — Lemma: nequaquam; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Negation of degree; Translation: “by no means”; Notes: Reinforces absoluteness of divine prohibition.
  7. ultra — Lemma: ultra; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Temporal adverb; Translation: “anymore”; Notes: Indicates cessation of prior judgmental act.
  8. interficietur — Lemma: interficio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative passive 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of negative clause; Translation: “shall be destroyed”; Notes: Passive construction emphasizing result rather than agent.
  9. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: Adjective; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Modifies caro; Translation: “all”; Notes: Refers to every living being collectively.
  10. caro — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular feminine; Function: Subject of interficietur; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Represents all living creatures possessing life.
  11. aquis — Lemma: aqua; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Ablative of means; Translation: “by the waters”; Notes: Identifies instrument of destruction in prior judgment.
  12. diluvii — Lemma: diluvium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Dependent genitive modifying aquis; Translation: “of the flood”; Notes: Specifies type of water—the deluge.
  13. neque — Lemma: neque; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects two negated clauses; Translation: “nor”; Notes: Continues negation pattern.
  14. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second negative clause; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Simple future stating prohibition of recurrence.
  15. deinceps — Lemma: deinceps; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Temporal modifier; Translation: “henceforth”; Notes: Marks continuation of divine guarantee for all time.
  16. diluvium — Lemma: diluvium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject of erit; Translation: “flood”; Notes: Refers to catastrophic deluge as event type.
  17. dissipans — Lemma: dissipo; Part of Speech: Participle (present active); Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Modifies diluvium; Translation: “destroying”; Notes: Active participle qualifying flood’s destructive effect.
  18. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Object of dissipans; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Specifies the realm protected under the covenant promise.

 

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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