Exodus 13:1

Posted on March 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 13:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and spoke PART.PERF.PASS.NOM.SG.M
2 est was 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus the LORD NOUN.NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses NOUN.ACC.SG.M
6 dicens saying PART.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main clause: Locutus est Dominus — compound verb with perfect participle locutus + auxiliary est; subject is Dominus.
Prepositional phrase: ad Moysen functions as the indirect object (“to Moses”).
Participle: dicens introduces the subsequent divine speech.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent participle; Form: perfect passive participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: forms compound verb locutus est; Translation: “and spoke”; Notes: deponent verb with active meaning.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative third person singular; Function: auxiliary of locutus est; Translation: “was”; Notes: completes deponent perfect construction.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: expresses direction.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: recipient of divine speech.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: introduces direct speech; Translation: “saying”; Notes: marks beginning of quoted divine command.

 

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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