Exodus 6:2

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

2 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen dicens: Ego Dominus

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: “I am the LORD

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and having spoken NOM.SG.M.PERF.PASS.PART + -QUE
2 est was / has 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 dicens saying NOM.SG.M.PRES.ACT.PART
7 Ego I NOM.SG
8 Dominus the LORD NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main clause: Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen — perfect participle + est forming a deponent perfect (“the LORD spoke”) directed toward Moses.
Participle of attendant speech: dicens — introduces direct quotation.
Direct declaration: Ego Dominus — emphatic identification formula of YHWH.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle (deponent); Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle with enclitic -que; Function: forms periphrastic perfect with est; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: deponent in form but active in meaning.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary completing periphrastic perfect; Translation: has / was; Notes: forms “he spoke.”
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: the LORD; Notes: refers to YHWH → rendered “LORD.”
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction of speech; Translation: to; Notes: standard with verbs of speaking.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: recipient of divine communication.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: nominative singular masculine present active participle; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: saying; Notes: common reporting formula.
  7. Ego — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: nominative singular; Function: subject of implied “sum”; Translation: I; Notes: emphatic self-identification.
  8. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: predicate nominative; Translation: the LORD; Notes: divine self-declaration (“I am YHWH”).

 

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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