Leviticus 8:1

Posted on April 8, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 8:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque having spoken and PTCP.PERF.DEP.NOM.SG.M
2 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
3 Dominus LORD NOM.SG.M
4 ad to PREP+ACC
5 Moysen Moses ACC.SG.M
6 dicens saying PTCP.PRES.ACT.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (subject) + est with Locutusque (perfect deponent participle forming the completed-speech idea)

Recipient Phrase: ad Moysen — prepositional phrase indicating the recipient of speech

Participial Continuation: dicens — participle introducing the content of what is said

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb (deponent participle with enclitic conjunction); Form: perfect participle nominative masculine singular with enclitic -que; Function: participle used with est to express completed speech in narrative sequence; Translation: having spoken and; Notes: The enclitic -que ties the clause closely to what precedes, continuing the narrative flow.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary completing the periphrastic verbal idea; Translation: is; Notes: With Locutusque, it conveys that the speaking act is presented as accomplished within the storyline.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular second declension; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Rendered as LORD because it refers to YHWH in this divine-speech formula.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs the accusative case; Function: introduces the recipient phrase; Translation: to; Notes: Marks direction toward the addressee rather than physical motion.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: Accusative form used after ad to indicate the one addressed.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative masculine singular; Function: introduces reported or direct discourse content; Translation: saying; Notes: Standard biblical Latin marker that the following words will give the substance of the speech.

 

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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