Genesis 9:25

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:25 ait: Maledictus Chanaan, servus servorum erit fratribus suis.

He said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 ait he said 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
2 Maledictus cursed ADJ.NOM.SG.M
3 Chanaan Canaan N.NOM.SG.M
4 servus servant N.NOM.SG.M
5 servorum of servants N.GEN.PL.M
6 erit shall be 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
7 fratribus to brothers N.DAT.PL.M
8 suis his ADJ.POSS.DAT.PL.M

Syntax

Main Clause: ait — introduces direct speech by Noah after his awakening.
Direct Speech Clause: Maledictus Chanaan — predicate adjective with implied sit, expressing imprecation “Cursed be Canaan.”
Result Clause: servus servorum erit fratribus suis — prophetic declaration of subjugation, “he shall be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
Word Order: The predicate Maledictus precedes the subject Chanaan for emphasis; servus servorum forms an intensive genitive construction denoting extreme servitude.

Morphology

  1. ait — Lemma: aio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb introducing speech; Translation: “he said”; Notes: Common in narrative to mark speech acts without pronoun subject.
  2. Maledictus — Lemma: maledico; Part of Speech: Adjective (verbal, perfect passive participle); Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate adjective; Translation: “cursed”; Notes: Implies divine judgment or prophetic curse.
  3. Chanaan — Lemma: Chanaan; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of implied verb sit; Translation: “Canaan”; Notes: The grandson of Noah, representing the Canaanite nations.
  4. servus — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of erit; Translation: “servant”; Notes: Marks his foretold position of subjection.
  5. servorum — Lemma: servus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive plural masculine; Function: Genitive of quality or superlative intensity; Translation: “of servants”; Notes: Idiomatically “the lowest of servants.”
  6. erit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “shall be”; Notes: Predictive future indicating enduring condition.
  7. fratribus — Lemma: frater; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Indirect object; Translation: “to (his) brothers”; Notes: Refers to Shem and Japheth.
  8. suis — Lemma: suus; Part of Speech: Possessive adjective; Form: Dative plural masculine; Function: Modifies fratribus; Translation: “his”; Notes: Reflexive, indicating familial relation within the same group.

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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