Exodus 20:1

Posted on March 11, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Ex 20:1 Locutusque est Dominus cunctos sermones hos:

And the LORD spoke all these words:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque having spoken, and PTCP.PERF.M.NOM.SG + CONJ
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M 2ND DECL
4 cunctos all ACC.PL.M ADJ POS
5 sermones words ACC.PL.M 3RD DECL
6 hos these ACC.PL.M PRON.DEM

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (Subject) + Locutusque est (Verb phrase)

Object: cunctos sermones hos — direct object of the verb

Structure: Perfect participle locutus + auxiliary est forms a deponent perfect verbal idea (“spoke”).

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb participle + enclitic conjunction; Form: perfect participle masculine nominative singular + enclitic -que; Function: part of compound verb phrase modifying the subject; Translation: “having spoken, and”; Notes: Used with est to form the perfect meaning “spoke.”
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present indicative active 3rd person singular; Function: auxiliary verb completing the compound perfect; Translation: “is”; Notes: Functions as auxiliary of deponent perfect.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, 2nd declension; Function: subject of the verb; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, therefore translated as “LORD.”
  4. cunctos — Lemma: cunctus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative plural masculine positive degree; Function: modifies sermones; Translation: “all”; Notes: Agrees with its noun in case, number, and gender.
  5. sermones — Lemma: sermo; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative plural masculine, 3rd declension; Function: direct object; Translation: “words”; Notes: Object of the verb “spoke.”
  6. hos — Lemma: hic; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: accusative plural masculine; Function: modifies sermones; Translation: “these”; Notes: Strengthens specificity of the direct object.

 

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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