Genesis 9:18

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:18 Erant ergo filii Noe, qui egressi sunt de arca, Sem, Cham, et Iapheth: porro Cham ipse est pater Chanaan.

Therefore, the sons of Noe who went out of the ark were Sem, Cham, and Japheth; moreover, Cham himself is the father of Chanaan.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Erant were 3PL.IMP.IND.ACT
2 ergo therefore ADV
3 filii sons N.NOM.PL.M
4 Noe Noah N.GEN.SG.M
5 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.PL.M
6 egressi having gone out PART.PERF.DEP.NOM.PL.M
7 sunt are 3PL.PRES.IND.ACT
8 de from PREP+ABL
9 arca ark N.ABL.SG.F
10 Sem Shem N.NOM.SG.M
11 Cham Ham N.NOM.SG.M
12 et and CONJ
13 Iapheth Japheth N.NOM.SG.M
14 porro moreover ADV
15 Cham Ham N.NOM.SG.M
16 ipse himself PRON.INT.NOM.SG.M
17 est is 3SG.PRES.IND.ACT
18 pater father N.NOM.SG.M
19 Chanaan Canaan N.GEN.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Erant ergo filii Noe — introduces the statement: “Therefore, the sons of Noah were …”.
Relative Clause: qui egressi sunt de arca — modifies filii, identifying them as those who left the ark.
Appositive List: Sem, Cham, et Iapheth — enumerates the three sons.
Second Clause: porro Cham ipse est pater Chanaan — adds further information emphasizing Ham’s relation to Canaan.
Word Order: Latin places porro and ipse frontally for emphasis, highlighting Ham’s lineage connection.

Morphology

  1. Erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: Describes an ongoing or descriptive past condition.
  2. ergo — Lemma: ergo; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Logical connector; Translation: “therefore”; Notes: Marks consequence from preceding narrative.
  3. filii — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of erant; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Refers to Noah’s male offspring.
  4. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive; Translation: “of Noah”; Notes: Possessive genitive marking filial relation.
  5. qui — Lemma: qui, quæ, quod; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Subject of egressi sunt; Translation: “who”; Notes: Introduces identifying clause.
  6. egressi — Lemma: egredior; Part of Speech: Participle (perfect deponent); Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Predicate within relative clause; Translation: “having gone out”; Notes: Deponent participle with active sense.
  7. sunt — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Auxiliary verb with egressi; Translation: “are”; Notes: Forms perfect periphrasis.
  8. de — Lemma: de; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses source; Translation: “from”; Notes: Indicates origin or departure point.
  9. arca — Lemma: arca; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of de; Translation: “ark”; Notes: Vessel of salvation for Noah’s family.
  10. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: First item in appositive list; Translation: “Shem”; Notes: Eldest or most honored son.
  11. Cham — Lemma: Cham; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Second item; Translation: “Ham”; Notes: Noted for later genealogical significance.
  12. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects final element in series; Translation: “and”; Notes: Simple copulative conjunction.
  13. Iapheth — Lemma: Iapheth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Final member of list; Translation: “Japheth”; Notes: Youngest son.
  14. porro — Lemma: porro; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Transitional adverb; Translation: “moreover”; Notes: Introduces explanatory addition.
  15. Cham — Lemma: Cham; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of est; Translation: “Ham”; Notes: Repetition adds emphasis.
  16. ipse — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: Pronoun (intensive); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Emphatic modifier; Translation: “himself”; Notes: Reinforces distinction and focus on Ham.
  17. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of copular clause; Translation: “is”; Notes: Identifies predicative relationship.
  18. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “father”; Notes: Specifies paternal relation.
  19. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “Canaan”; Notes: Indicates descent, marking the origin of the Canaanites.

 

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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