Numeri 3:44 (Numbers 3:44)

Posted on April 30, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 3:44 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque and having spoken PPP.NOM.SG.M+ENCL
2 est he 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

Periphrastic Verb Construction: Locutus est Dominus — perfect passive participle + est, functioning as a deponent perfect, “the LORD spoke.”

Indirect Object Phrase: ad Moysen — direction toward Moses.

Participial Clause: dicens — introduces direct speech, “saying.”

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor + -que; Part of Speech: deponent verb (perfect passive participle) + enclitic conjunction; Form: nominative singular masculine perfect passive participle + enclitic; Function: forms periphrastic perfect with est; Translation: and having spoken; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present active indicative; Function: auxiliary; Translation: is; Notes: Forms perfect tense with participle.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: LORD; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: direction; Translation: to; Notes: Indicates recipient.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: Moses; Notes: Recipient of speech.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb (participle); Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: saying; Notes: Introduces quotation.

 

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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