Genesis 9:23

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:23 At vero Sem et Iapheth pallium imposuerunt humeris suis, et incedentes retrorsum, operuerunt verenda patris sui: faciesque eorum aversæ erant, et patris virilia non viderunt.

But Shem and Japheth put a cloak upon their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness; and their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s private parts.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 At but CONJ
2 vero indeed ADV
3 Sem Shem N.NOM.SG.M
4 et and CONJ
5 Iapheth Japheth N.NOM.SG.M
6 pallium cloak N.ACC.SG.N
7 imposuerunt placed 3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
8 humeris shoulders N.DAT.PL.M
9 suis their ADJ.POSS.DAT.PL.M
10 et and CONJ
11 incedentes walking PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.PL.M
12 retrorsum backward ADV
13 operuerunt covered 3PL.PERF.IND.ACT
14 verenda nakedness N.ACC.PL.N
15 patris of (their) father N.GEN.SG.M
16 sui their PRON.REFL.GEN.SG.M
17 faciesque and faces N.NOM.PL.F + ENCLITIC
18 eorum their PRON.POSS.GEN.PL.M
19 aversæ turned away PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.PL.F
20 erant were 3PL.IMP.IND.ACT
21 et and CONJ
22 patris of (their) father N.GEN.SG.M
23 virilia private parts N.ACC.PL.N
24 non not ADV
25 viderunt saw 3PL.PERF.IND.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause 1: At vero Sem et Iapheth pallium imposuerunt humeris suis — contrasts with Ham’s disrespectful act; “But Shem and Japheth put a cloak on their shoulders.”
Participial Clause: et incedentes retrorsum — indicates manner of movement, “and walking backward.”
Main Clause 2: operuerunt verenda patris sui — expresses the act of modesty, “they covered their father’s nakedness.”
Coordinated Clause: faciesque eorum aversæ erant — describes attitude of reverence: “and their faces were turned away.”
Final Clause: et patris virilia non viderunt — concludes with moral emphasis, “and they did not see their father’s private parts.”
Word Order: The alternation of participial and finite verbs creates rhythmic solemnity; retrorsum and aversæ reinforce modesty and filial piety.

Morphology

  1. At — Lemma: at; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Adversative connector; Translation: “but”; Notes: Marks contrast with Ham’s behavior.
  2. vero — Lemma: vero; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Emphatic modifier; Translation: “indeed”; Notes: Strengthens the adversative tone.
  3. Sem — Lemma: Sem; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Shem”; Notes: First son, associated with honor.
  4. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects two subjects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Shem and Japheth.
  5. Iapheth — Lemma: Iapheth; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject; Translation: “Japheth”; Notes: Younger son sharing Shem’s reverent action.
  6. pallium — Lemma: pallium; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of imposuerunt; Translation: “cloak”; Notes: Refers to garment used to cover Noah.
  7. imposuerunt — Lemma: impono; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they placed”; Notes: Indicates deliberate and respectful action.
  8. humeris — Lemma: humerus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object of imposuerunt; Translation: “shoulders”; Notes: Instrument of modesty in covering Noah.
  9. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Modifies humeris; Translation: “their”; Notes: Reflects shared participation of both brothers.
  10. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects with next participial phrase; Translation: “and.”
  11. incedentes — Lemma: incedo; Part of Speech: Participle (present active); Form: Nominative plural masculine; Function: Describes simultaneous action; Translation: “walking”; Notes: Indicates reverent approach.
  12. retrorsum — Lemma: retrorsum; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Modifies incedentes; Translation: “backward”; Notes: Symbol of modesty, avoiding visual sin.
  13. operuerunt — Lemma: operio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “they covered”; Notes: Completes act of filial piety.
  14. verenda — Lemma: verenda (from verendum); Part of Speech: Noun (plural neuter, substantive); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of operuerunt; Translation: “nakedness”; Notes: Euphemistic reference to shame or exposure.
  15. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of (their) father.”
  16. sui — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Reflexive pronoun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies patris; Translation: “their own”; Notes: Points to familial reverence.
  17. faciesque — Lemma: facies + que; Part of Speech: Noun (with enclitic conjunction); Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Subject of erant; Translation: “and their faces”; Notes: Denotes physical turning away.
  18. eorum — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun (possessive); Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Modifies facies; Translation: “their.”
  19. aversæ — Lemma: averto; Part of Speech: Participle (perfect passive); Form: Nominative plural feminine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “turned away”; Notes: Describes moral restraint.
  20. erant — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “were”; Notes: Imperfect conveys continuous state of aversion.
  21. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects final clause; Translation: “and.”
  22. patris — Lemma: pater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of (their) father.”
  23. virilia — Lemma: virilia (from virilis); Part of Speech: Noun (plural neuter, substantive); Form: Accusative plural neuter; Function: Direct object of viderunt; Translation: “private parts”; Notes: Euphemism for modest expression of physical exposure.
  24. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Negates viderunt; Translation: “not.”
  25. viderunt — Lemma: video; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person plural; Function: Main verb of final clause; Translation: “they saw”; Notes: Perfect indicates completed avoidance of indecency.

 

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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