Numeri 5:1 (Numbers 5:1)

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Nm 5:1 Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens:

And the LORD spoke to Moyses, saying:

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Locutusque having spoken and NOM.SG.M.PTCP
2 est he is 3.SG.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

Syntax

Main Clause: Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen — Dominus is the subject, with Locutus est forming a deponent perfect verb, and ad Moysen indicating the recipient.

Participial Clause: dicens — introduces direct speech that follows.

Clause Function: The sentence introduces divine speech directed to Moyses.

Morphology

  1. Locutusque — Lemma: loquor; Part of Speech: participle; Form: perfect deponent participle nominative singular masculine with enclitic -que; Function: predicate; Translation: “having spoken and”; Notes: Deponent verb with active meaning, enclitic connects clause.
  2. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, third person singular; Function: auxiliary; Translation: “he is”; Notes: Forms perfect tense with participle.
  3. Dominus — Lemma: Dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine; Function: subject; Translation: “the LORD”; Notes: Refers to YHWH.
  4. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs accusative; Function: introduces indirect object; Translation: “to”; Notes: Direction of speech.
  5. Moysen — Lemma: Moyses; Part of Speech: proper noun; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: object of ad; Translation: “Moyses”; Notes: Recipient of speech.
  6. dicens — Lemma: dico; Part of Speech: participle; Form: present active participle nominative singular masculine; Function: circumstantial participle; Translation: “saying”; Notes: Introduces direct discourse.

 

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.
This entry was posted in Numeri. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.