Genesis 9:22

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:22 Quod cum vidisset Cham pater Chanaan, verenda scilicet patris sui esse nudata, nunciavit duobus fratribus suis foras.

And when Ham, the father of Canaan, had seen the nakedness of his father, indeed, that his father was uncovered, he told his two brothers outside.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Quod when CONJ
2 cum when CONJ
3 vidisset had seen 3SG.PLUPERF.SUBJ.ACT
4 Cham Ham N.NOM.SG.M
5 pater father N.NOM.SG.M
6 Chanaan Canaan N.GEN.SG.M
7 verenda the shame N.ACC.PL.N
8 scilicet namely ADV
9 patris of the father N.GEN.SG.M
10 sui his PRON.REFL.GEN.SG.M
11 esse to be INF.PRES.ACT
12 nudata uncovered PART.PERF.PASS.ACC.PL.N
13 nunciavit he told 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
14 duobus two ADJ.DAT.PL.M
15 fratribus brothers N.DAT.PL.M
16 suis his ADJ.POSS.DAT.PL.M
17 foras outside ADV

Syntax

Temporal-Causal Clause: Quod cum vidisset Cham pater Chanaan — introduces the event’s cause, “when Ham, the father of Canaan, had seen.”
Indirect Statement: verenda scilicet patris sui esse nudata — describes the object of perception, literally “namely, that the shame of his father was uncovered.”
Main Clause: nunciavit duobus fratribus suis foras — narrates the reaction: “he told his two brothers outside.”
Word Order: The relative pronoun Quod begins the sentence to connect the clause with the previous verse; scilicet adds clarifying emphasis.

Morphology

  1. Quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction (causal/temporal); Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces subordinate clause; Translation: “and when”; Notes: Links narrative with prior event (Noah’s drunkenness).
  2. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Marks temporal relationship; Translation: “when”; Notes: Used with subjunctive verb to denote temporal circumstance.
  3. vidisset — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Pluperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular; Function: Verb in subordinate clause; Translation: “had seen”; Notes: Marks action prior to the main clause.
  4. Cham — Lemma: Cham; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of vidisset; Translation: “Ham”; Notes: Identifies the son responsible for viewing his father’s shame.
  5. pater — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Apposition to Cham; Translation: “father”; Notes: Further defines Ham’s familial status.
  6. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying pater; Translation: “of Canaan”; Notes: Marks genealogical connection.
  7. verenda — Lemma: verenda (from verendum); Part of Speech: Noun (plural neuter, used substantively); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Object of vidisset; Translation: “the shame” or “private parts”; Notes: Euphemism for nakedness.
  8. scilicet — Lemma: scilicet; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Clarifying marker; Translation: “namely” or “indeed”; Notes: Introduces explanatory emphasis.
  9. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive modifying verenda; Translation: “of the father”; Notes: Specifies the one exposed.
  10. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive possessive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “his own”; Notes: Emphasizes filial relationship to Noah.
  11. esse — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present infinitive active; Function: Part of indirect statement after vidisset; Translation: “to be”; Notes: Expresses state perceived by Ham.
  12. nudata — Lemma: nudo; Part of Speech: Participle (perfect passive); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Complement of esse in indirect statement; Translation: “uncovered”; Notes: Describes condition of nakedness.
  13. nunciavit — Lemma: nuncio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “he told”; Notes: Marks Ham’s action after perceiving the event.
  14. duobus — Lemma: duo; Part of Speech: Numeral adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of nunciavit; Translation: “two”; Notes: Indicates number of recipients.
  15. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of nunciavit; Translation: “brothers”; Notes: Refers to Shem and Japheth.
  16. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reinforces fraternal relation.
  17. foras — Lemma: foras; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Adverb of place; Translation: “outside”; Notes: Specifies location where Ham reported the event.

 

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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