Genesis 9:13

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:13 Arcum meum ponam in nubibus, et erit signum fœderis inter me, et inter terram.

I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Arcum bow N.ACC.SG.M
2 meum my PRON.POSS.ACC.SG.M
3 ponam I will set 1SG.FUT.IND.ACT
4 in in PREP+ABL
5 nubibus clouds N.ABL.PL.F
6 et and CONJ
7 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
8 signum sign N.NOM.SG.N
9 fœderis of the covenant N.GEN.SG.N
10 inter between PREP+ACC
11 me me PRON.ACC.SG
12 et and CONJ
13 inter between PREP+ACC
14 terram earth N.ACC.SG.F

Syntax

Main Clause 1: Arcum meum ponam in nubibus — expresses divine action: “I will set my bow in the clouds.”
Main Clause 2: et erit signum fœderis — states its purpose: “and it shall be a sign of the covenant.”
Prepositional Phrases: inter me, et inter terram — clarify the parties between whom the covenant stands—God and the earth.
Word Order: Arcum meum ponam places the direct object first for emphasis, highlighting the rainbow as a divine token.

Morphology

  1. Arcum — Lemma: arcus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Direct object of ponam; Translation: “bow”; Notes: Refers to the rainbow as divine symbol of peace.
  2. meum — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Pronoun (possessive adjective); Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Modifies arcum; Translation: “my”; Notes: Denotes divine ownership of the celestial sign.
  3. ponam — Lemma: pono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 1st person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “I will set”; Notes: Expresses deliberate and permanent divine placement.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Indicates location; Translation: “in”; Notes: Specifies setting of the bow within the clouds.
  5. nubibus — Lemma: nubes; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative plural feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “clouds”; Notes: Represents the atmospheric context of the sign.
  6. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects two clauses; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links divine act with its covenantal function.
  7. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of second clause; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Indicates future ongoing function of the rainbow.
  8. signum — Lemma: signum; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular neuter; Function: Subject complement of erit; Translation: “sign”; Notes: Symbolic indicator of divine covenant.
  9. fœderis — Lemma: fœdus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Dependent genitive modifying signum; Translation: “of the covenant”; Notes: Specifies the nature of the sign.
  10. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Denotes relation or association; Translation: “between”; Notes: Marks the covenantal relationship.
  11. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: First complement of inter; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to the divine speaker.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects me and terram; Translation: “and”; Notes: Coordinates the covenantal parties.
  13. inter — Lemma: inter; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Repetition for emphasis; Translation: “between”; Notes: Stylistic reinforcement of relational parity.
  14. terram — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Second complement of inter; Translation: “earth”; Notes: Represents all creation under divine covenant.

 

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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