Jonah. Iona et Piscis.
Brief Comments on the Latin:
[Note: You will find other helpful information by looking at the segmented text, which shows clearly how the sentences and clauses are organized. You can also choose to have the verbs and/or bold speech highlighted, which often makes the Latin easier to understand.]
1:1. Note that Iona is a Hebrew name that declines; Ionam is the accusative, in approsition to filium.
1:2. Note that Nineve is a place name that declines; Nineven is the accusative, in apposition to civitatem. The preposition coram takes the ablative.
1:3. Ioppen is in the accusative: [ad] Ioppen. (This is a Greek declensional ending). [Note about Greek forms in the Vulgate.] The Latin word naulum is equivalent to the Greek naulon, boat-fare.
1:4. Note that periclitabatur takes a complementary infinitive: conteri (present passive infinitive of contero).
1:5. The subject of the passive verb adleviaretur is the ship, navis.
1:6. The word quid introduces a question: why? (for "what" reason?) The use of tu is emphatic here. Deprimeris is a present passive verb. Forte is the ablative of fors, "chance."
1:7. Sit is the subjunctive of indirect question , introduced by quare.
1:8. Sit is the subjunctive of indirect question , introduced by cuius causa ("why? because of what?"). Quod, quae, quo, and ex quo are all introducing questions. Note the parallel construction: quod est opus tuum and quae [est] terra tua.
1:9. The antecedent of qui is Dominum. The word arida here stands for arida terra.
1:10. The word quid introduces a question: why? (for "what" reason?) The use of quod to introduce indirect statement is non-classical.
1:11. Faciemus and cessabit are both future.
1:12. The use of quoniam to introduce indirect statement is non-classical. Note the omission of the verb "to be."
1:14. Anima here means "life" ("because of this man's life").
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