Leviticus 23:23

Posted on April 23, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

23 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and spoke NOM.SG.M.PTCP.PERF.DEP
2 est is / was 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.PTCP.PRES.ACT

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus — narrative main clause with a perfect deponent verb expressing completed divine speech.
Indirect Object: ad Moysen — prepositional phrase indicating the recipient of revelation.
Participial Extension: dicens — present participle introducing the following direct discourse.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: Verb (perfect participle, deponent) with enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative masculine singular perfect participle deponent; Function: verbal predicate with auxiliary; Translation: “and having spoken”; Notes: Common Vulgate formula introducing divine speech, with -que linking to prior context.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary verb; Translation: “is / was”; Notes: Forms the perfect tense with the deponent participle locutus.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: nominative masculine singular; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Renders the Tetragrammaton, indicating YHWH as speaker.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: direction/recipient; Translation: “to”; Notes: Introduces the addressee of divine speech.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: accusative masculine singular; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moses”; Notes: Mediator of revelation and law.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: Verb (present participle); Form: nominative masculine singular present active participle; Function: supplementary participle; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces the content of the speech that follows.

 

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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