Numeri 4:21 (Numbers 4:21)

Posted on May 1, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 4:21 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

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

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus — Dominus is the subject, and locutus est forms the perfect periphrastic construction, expressing a completed action “spoke.”

Prepositional Phrase: ad Moysen functions as the indirect object of address, indicating the recipient of the speech.

Participial Construction: dicens is a present active participle modifying Dominus, introducing the content of the speech that follows.

Clause Function: The sentence serves as a narrative introduction to divine speech, marking a transition into a new instruction or command.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: verb; Form: perfect participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: forms the main verb with est; Translation: “and having spoken” / “and spoke”; Notes: Deponent verb with passive form but active meaning, typical of narrative openings.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: auxiliary completing perfect construction; Translation: “was” / “did”; Notes: With the participle, expresses completed past action.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH, thus translated in all caps.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces object of address; Translation: “to”; Notes: Indicates direction toward the recipient.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: The Latin form reflects the Greek-influenced declension.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: participial modifier; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse following the narrative formula.

 

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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