Leviticus 12:1

Posted on April 12, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 12:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and spoke PERF.DEP.PTCP.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 PRES.ACT.PTCP.NOM.SG.M

Syntax

Main Clause: Dominus (subject) + locutus est (deponent verb expressing speech)
Indirect Object: ad Moysen — recipient of the speech
Participial Expansion: dicens — introduces the following direct discourse

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: deponent verb participle; Form: perfect deponent participle masculine nominative singular with enclitic conjunction; Function: main verbal element with copula; Translation: and spoke; Notes: The enclitic -que links this action to the preceding narrative.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary forming the perfect deponent tense; Translation: is; Notes: Combines with locutus to express completed action.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: grammatical subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH and is rendered in small caps in English.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: marks direction toward a person; Translation: to; Notes: Regular preposition used with verbs of speaking.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: Recipient of divine revelation.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb participle; Form: present active participle masculine nominative singular; Function: circumstantial participle introducing speech content; Translation: saying; Notes: Standard formula introducing direct divine instruction.

 

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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