Genesis 9:8

Posted on January 9, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 9:8 Hæc quoque dixit Deus ad Noe, et ad filios eius cum eo:

And God also spoke these things to Noe and to his sons with him:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Hæc these things PRON.NOM.PL.N
2 quoque also ADV
3 dixit spoke 3SG.PERF.IND.ACT
4 Deus God N.NOM.SG.M
5 ad to PREP+ACC
6 Noe Noah N.ACC.SG.M
7 et and CONJ
8 ad to PREP+ACC
9 filios sons N.ACC.PL.M
10 eius his PRON.POSS.GEN.SG.M
11 cum with PREP+ABL
12 eo him PRON.ABL.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Hæc quoque dixit Deus — the principal statement introducing divine speech, “God also said these things.”
Indirect Object: ad Noe, et ad filios eius cum eo — indicates the recipients of God’s speech, namely Noah and his sons.
Modifier: quoque — adds continuity, showing this statement follows previous divine communications.

Morphology

  1. Hæc — Lemma: hic, hæc, hoc; Part of Speech: Pronoun (demonstrative); Form: Nominative plural neuter; Function: Subject of dixit; Translation: “these things”; Notes: Refers to the subsequent words or commandments God is about to speak.
  2. quoque — Lemma: quoque; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: Invariable; Function: Adds the sense of continuation or addition; Translation: “also”; Notes: Implies that God continues speaking beyond prior speech acts.
  3. dixit — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb; Translation: “spoke” or “said”; Notes: Perfect tense indicates completed divine action of speaking.
  4. Deus — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of dixit; Translation: “God”; Notes: The speaker; divine agent continuing covenantal discourse.
  5. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Indicates direction or recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the indirect object.
  6. Noe — Lemma: Noe; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of dixit; Translation: “Noah”; Notes: Recipient of divine revelation, key covenantal figure.
  7. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: Invariable; Function: Connects coordinate objects; Translation: “and”; Notes: Links Noah with his sons as co-recipients.
  8. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Introduces second indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Repetition enhances rhythm and emphasis.
  9. filios — Lemma: filius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative plural masculine; Function: Second indirect object of dixit; Translation: “sons”; Notes: Extends covenantal address to Noah’s descendants.
  10. eius — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun (possessive); Form: Genitive singular masculine; Function: Modifies filios; Translation: “his”; Notes: Refers to Noah as the father of the addressed sons.
  11. cum — Lemma: cum; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with”; Notes: Indicates that Noah’s sons were present together with him.
  12. eo — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Ablative singular masculine; Function: Object of cum; Translation: “him”; Notes: Refers back to Noah; expresses togetherness in covenant reception.

 

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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