Genesis 9:4

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:4 Excepto, quod carnem cum sanguine non comedetis.

Except that you shall not eat flesh with its blood.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Excepto except ABL.SG.N
2 quod that CONJ
3 carnem flesh N.ACC.SG.F
4 cum with PREP+ABL
5 sanguine blood N.ABL.SG.M
6 non not ADV
7 comedetis you shall eat 2PL.FUT.IND.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: quod carnem cum sanguine non comedetis — dependent clause expressing the prohibition following the exception.
Verb Phrase: non comedetis — main action in the clause, future indicative prohibiting eating.
Object Phrase: carnem cum sanguine — direct object with prepositional phrase specifying “flesh with blood.”
Introductory Phrase: Excepto quod — introduces an exception to the preceding permission, “except that.”

Morphology

  1. Excepto — Lemma: excipio; Part of Speech: Participle used as preposition; Form: Ablative singular neuter; Function: Introduces exception; Translation: “except”; Notes: Ablative absolute form expressing restriction to a general rule.
  2. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Introduces a substantive clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Used here to connect the main clause with the subordinate prohibition.
  3. carnem — Lemma: caro; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular feminine; Function: Direct object of comedetis; Translation: “flesh”; Notes: Refers to animal meat as food.
  4. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates connection between flesh and blood.
  5. sanguine — Lemma: sanguis; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of preposition cum; Translation: “blood”; Notes: Represents the life element that must not be consumed according to divine command.
  6. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Negates the verb comedetis; Translation: “not”; Notes: Marks the clause as a strict prohibition.
  7. comedetis — Lemma: comedo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Future indicative active 2nd person plural; Function: Main verb; Translation: “you shall eat”; Notes: Expresses divine future prohibition in the second person plural, addressing all humanity.

 

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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