"quod + subjunctive" construction

Latin Learning Latin
1

I’m curious to know about this, as it appears in the Vulgate but not is not mentioned in any textbook I have

Genesis 1:10

Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum

I know this translates as “and God saw that it was good.” But why is the second clause in the subjuctive? Is there a type of clause that requires this construction?

thanks for any help

Non stetur
2

Salve medbh4805

“And God saw to it that it should be good” as one might translate possibly, I think/sic anglicè convertas, ut opinor

“Quod” takes the active voice to introduce a fact and the subjunctive to introduce a statement from the author’s perspective. A&G §540,N1.
Servit “quod” et activo et subjunctivo modo, activo ut detur factum et subjunctivo ut ê mente auctoris praedicatio.

3

When quod is used to introduce indirect discourse, it usually takes the subjunctive. See the page at http://books.google.ca/books?id=ReCp978iiA8C&pg=PA48&lpg=PA4 for example. I think that’s all that’s occurring here.

4

Thanks

5

Note that this is a very common construction in Later/Church Latin, used instead of the more classical construction of reported speech, which uses an accusative+infinitive. You’ll see it a lot in the Vulgate.